Breath of the Wild - Rewritten
by Italicised
Summary: A re-telling of the events of Breath of the Wild, beginning at the first memory and going a little into the post-game. Zelink. Will obviously include spoilers, but besides character tweaks, is true to the game.
1. The Appointed Knight

((yo I just finished Breath of the Wild and it was mindblowingly good... akin to what I did with Skyward Sword, I'm really interested in sort of re-writing the entire game, beginning at the 100 years prior and going through all the events of the game to the defeat of Calamity Ganon, and possibly post-game after that. I should really apologize to everyone who got invested in my Skyward Sword fanfic, I'm disappointed in myself for getting that far into it and abandoning it, but there was a lot going on in my life around the same time - whereas now, I'm unemployed! (But it's a good thing.) I can only reassure you that the chances of me stopping halfway through this are very slim.

Hope you enjoy this.))

The knighting ceremony was held on a sunny morning. The newest graduates of the military camp were to be given their proper title, along with all the pomp and tradition that came with being called a Knight. There was more excitement in the air during this one, more stifled whispers and knowing grins as the lucky (hardworking) few made their way to the stone circle where King Rhoam was waiting. However, it was different today. There was someone everyone had come to see. Or, some _thing._

Link hadn't always been the strong silent type. In fact, since becoming the chosen Hero of the Master Sword, his friends noticed him changing. He was more of a jokester before, outgoing, friendly and perpetually cheerful, but with the sword on his back he didn't feel much like Link. He had a duty. And him having the sword now, after ten thousand years had past since it was last needed, was not a good omen. Knight training was no longer for grandeur or petty criminals. He would have to use this sword, and not just for himself, for everyone - if the prophecy was true. There was skepticism in the rumor mill whether the legend was true, but the red flags were popping up more and more.

Link hadn't paid much attention before. Now, his attention piqued at any mention of Guardians, the excavated shrines, or Ganon. He had a bigger part to play, and the burden weighed down on his shoulders, a heavy responsibility, knowing eyes were on him today and the shiny blue sword on his back.

Thankfully, through all the words and rituals, a breeze kept the Sacred Grounds from being unbearably warm on such a clear sunny day. As Link and two of his colleagues knelt, he kept his eyes focused on the stone ahead, but listened intently to every word the King recited. He had a hunch that over time, he would have a closer relationship with the King than he probably wanted. Well… now that he was officially a Knight, and not just a trainee that happened to have the Master Sword. He had met the Champions already, mostly just a quick civility, though Mipha - the Zora champion - had become a particular fan of his. Even so, how was he supposed to live up to that title? He was just a kid still, freshly seventeen - even young man felt like a stretch. The other Champions were already so accomplished, incredibly respected by their people. He couldn't help feeling like he had a long ways to go, and if Calamity Ganon was returning, he might not be waiting around for Link to become fully prepared.

Princess Zelda had come to this ceremony, Link noticed, which was out of the norm. Tearing his blue gaze away from the stones for just a moment, he could make out the bottom of her dress, a little ways behind King Rhoam, hands clasped politely in front of her. He had met her before, briefly, just in a professional setting, a civility she showed to the Knight trainees. But since receiving the sword, he had noticed her gaze more and more. What feeling was behind it, he was unsure, but surely it was just curiosity at his new Champion title. She was well-acquainted with the others, after all, more than he was.

When the ceremony was over, the three stood up. Link could feel Polly casting him a glance next to him, and he glanced back for a brief moment to see her wink at him. He barely managed a smile before looking forwards again, his eyes meeting King Rhoam's at apparently the right moment.

"Furthermore," the king continued his previous speech, before the crowd was able to disperse - "I am happy to announce that our new graduate and Champion, Link, will be my daughter, Princess Zelda's, appointed knight."

Only clever onlookers could have seen the identical reactions of both Link and Zelda. Completely taken aback, but only for the briefest moment, before manners kicked back in. Link lifted his chin a little, taking in a breath and hoping that this, paired with the sword, would finally appease his father's wishes. He stole a glance towards the Princess, who was staring coolly at him, pursed her lips all the slightly, and then returned a softer gaze towards her father.

 _What was that?_ Was she embarrassed to have it announced in front of everyone? To be honest, Link wasn't even sure what it would entail, but was sure he'd hear more about his expectations from King Rhoam. In the moment, he figured it was more for show, but it wouldn't be long before he'd learn how wrong he was. When the crowd had finally petered out, Link waited behind. He noticed Zelda beginning to leave before the King urged her to hang back.

"Link," Rhoam finally addressed him, and instinctively the boy knelt, elbow resting on his knee and eyes to the ground. The King laughed heartily in response.

"As you were, boy," he assured him, and Link stood up after a moment's hesitation.

"Thank you, sir," he replied politely, doing everything in his power to not look over the man's shoulders at the Princess, who he could feel staring at him. Rhoam stepped sideways, to better address both Link and Zelda at the same time.

"Now, I want to lay down some expectations, so everyone understands this arrangement. It has been ten thousand years since Calamity Ganon last arose, and attempted to destroy Hyrule - my kingdom," he began, and both Link and Zelda were a quiet audience, listening intently to a legacy they had heard several times before. "In case the Master Sword revealing itself to you is not just chance - in case these omens are… legitimate," Rhoam continued, looking thoughtfully towards the castle before returning his intent look at the two of them, "I demand that the Princess have protection. Zelda, it is no secret to me that you enjoy wandering outside the Castle Town, and it may be necessary for your prayer. Now, it is also necessary for you to have appropriate protection, should the worst come to fruition during our time."

"Father-"

"Ten thousand years ago, the Princess and her appointed Knight were responsible for Calamity Ganon's downfall," Rhoam interrupted Zelda, and she immediately dipped her head. "The importance of this arrangement may go over your heads now. But I expect nothing less than obedience from an appointed Knight of Hyrule - and my daughter, even moreso," the King added, finally stopping for a bigger breath, "That is all. Link, please keep an eye on Zelda while she is out of the Castle. Zelda, you are allowed your privacy within these walls, as always - so long as you are dedicated to your task."

And that was it. As the King left, Zelda looked expectantly at Link for a moment, but he could not think of anything to say. If her eyes were kinder, if she was smiling, if she was - well, if he knew her at all or better, he would probably have some reassuring words, but at the moment he drew a blank. This didn't seem to help, since after a moment of silence, the girl simply let out a quiet - and worse, disappointed sounding scoff, before following along behind her father.

Clouds passed between the sun and the earth. Link waited a few peaceful moments before heading back towards the Castle, a safe distance behind Zelda. _Great start._

The first order of official business came only days later. The Goron Champion, Daruk, had suggested an official ceremony for Link to be named Appointed Knight. Even though Zelda had seemed less than inclined - even Link wasn't fond of the idea, but he didn't let this show - the Princess finally gave in to the Goron's enthusiasm. They found themselves back at the Sacred Grounds, in the evening this time, but Link spent some time alongside Mipha beforehand.

"You will do great things," she reassured him, as the two of them sat near a pond not far from the grounds.

"I'm - I _just_ graduated from Knight training. This is… normally it would be an experienced Knight, not a kid."

"You're not a kid," Mipha protested, her bright hazel eyes wide. Link looked back at her with skepticism, and then had to struggle for a moment to not let his lingering crush get in the way. He could get lost in her eyes far too fast. She was breathtakingly pretty, and not at all subtle about how much she liked him. He felt like she was one he could really open up to. At least for now.

"That means a lot, coming from a Zora," Link replied with a small grin, and Mipha looked at him in confusion for a moment before laughing. She trailed off after a moment, blinking softly at him and placing one webbed hand over his.

"I don't know a soul in Hyrule who doesn't believe in the legendary Hero," she said thoughtfully, and as Link stared back into her eyes, for a moment he believed her. "You and Zelda - this is destiny," she added, though there was a sadder tinge to her voice, but she quickly digressed. "Now come on, Hero. The Princess has agreed to officially appointing you as her Knight. That is a start," the Champion added with a suspicious smile. So even Mipha knew that the two of them weren't well acquainted yet. That was embarrassing.

Zelda was wearing the same outfit she wore the day of the Knighting Ceremony. Now, as Link knelt before her alone, with the four other Champions as his audience, he felt more nervous than ever. But he kept composure, helpless under the Princess' steeled gaze as she recited - in all her uninterest - the words that made him her official Appointed Knight. It was easy to tell that she wasn't pleased. Link could hear vague whispers from the other Champions, but he kept his eyes shut, not wanting to display any sort of emotion; he was one of them. He had to be professional. Right?

Revali was the least interested of the few. Although Daruk had at least tried to be hushed in his concerns, Revali wasn't, but Zelda also seemed unconcerned that Link could hear the Rito literally shit-talking him from four feet away. It wasn't like him to start conflict, however, and he pretended not to hear. And in a way, he agreed with the bird. What good did this do, if Zelda herself didn't want to _do_ it? Her words, rather than inspiring hope in Link, were stewing his fear of failure. He blocked out the voices. It's a good thing he did, as Urbosa was re-iterating a common theme - that Link himself was simply a living reminder of Zelda's own shortcomings. That when she looked at him, she felt disappointment in herself; that his achievement with the Master Sword meant she was behind as a Champion herself, a failure to the royal family, a Princess to nothing if Hyrule could not be saved by her family's sealing powers.

But the Knight, for all his perception, had yet to realise this. He simply felt disliked. A burden on the Princess, yet all he could do was devote his life to her, train to protect her, follow her to the ends of Hyrule in search of her power. Despite her resentment at requiring a chaperone, despite her stinging tone of voice during the ceremony, all Link could do was admire her ethic. She worked desperately hard. She cared for Hyrule so genuinely, that even with the rumors about her sleeping power and throne, no one in the land spoke poorly of her. She was a truly kind soul. Link's duty was a privilege. His silence was respect. But he had no clue how to reassure her, or help her, in the way that he felt she really needed. Not without coming off as condescending or out of place. Better... to just say nothing.

Zelda, meanwhile, had finished the ceremony - and true to what Urbosa had said, found it difficult to look at the Knight with respect. She had seen him before, training as a Knight, clearly excelling in his class, laughing at the good times and serious when needed, but he had been nothing but silent after finding the Master Sword and becoming her Knight. Was it her? Was she the reason for his silence? Did he just… not want to do this? Oh, she wished she could just _shut off_ her responsibility, just forget that she could be responsible for the well-being of the entire Kingdom, her father's legacy, and living up to the destiny her mother and grandmother had left her. The burden she bared was nothing compared to that toy on his back, revealed to him with no trial or test. And even now, he could do nothing but stare under long eyelashes at the stone beneath his feet, rather than meet her gaze. Truly, the girl was frustrated at herself, and any little thing Link did wrong was enough to test her patience.

Link heard the princess sigh and turn, walking towards the castle. She was done. He waited a short moment before getting slowly to his feet. The winds picked up, and a familiar gust whacked the back of his head before Revali had taken off for home, but he didn't take it personally. The Rito had never liked him, and now that they were supposedly equals, it had properly ruffled his feathers. Mipha laid a hand on his shoulder, Urbosa gave him a curt nod, and Daruk scratched the back of his head nervously. Link gave him a slightly bored look.

"This was your fault."

"I KNOW. I'm sorry, little guy. I thought it would be - er - an icebreaker, for you two," the Goron explained helpfully, and Link sighed and stifled a smile.

"It's okay. I appreciate the thought, Daruk," Link said simply, casting a small smile at the remaining three Champions.

"We'll see you soon, Link," Urbosa said abruptly. "Zelda wants you to acquaint yourself with the Divine Beasts. I think she said Medoh was first," the Gerudo mused, then shrugged. Link's shoulders dropped. Of course Rito Village was first.

"Whatever it may be. Call on us if you need."

Link nodded simply in response, casting Urbosa a relieved smile before the Gerudo, Goron, and Zora left to their respective homes. The Knight looked towards his home - caught a glimpse of Zelda's hair in the sunlight, still on her way back, and broke into a jog to follow her until the castle walls.


	2. The Rito Champion

Rito village had always been one of Link's favourite places to visit. His mum took him on occasion when he was younger, and while he could never keep up with them, as a child he got along famously with the other younger Rito. It was incredibly welcoming, peaceful, and a bit on the cooler side, which Link appreciated. It was different visiting now, as if he was on… business… or something of the sort, not a vacation like usual. Zelda's white stallion slowed up ahead as they crossed a variety of wooden bridges, the surefire sign that your trip was nearly at a close.

"Well, we're here," Zelda said redundantly, casting a look at Link over her shoulder as they hopped off their horses before the last bridge. Link responded with a thin lipped smile and a nod. _...yep._

"You've met Revali already, but I want you to talk to him one-on-one. Maybe you can get along better now that you're an Appointed Knight." There was no mistaking the slightest of sarcasm in her tone, and although it stung a little bit, Link kept his shoulders loose. Water off a duck's back. He highly doubted that Revali would be any easier to get along with; in fact, him having gone through that dreadful ceremony the other day was just more ammo for the bird to fire at Link, rapid-speed, of course.

"I'm going to go say hello to a friend," Zelda said suddenly, and for the first time, Link caught her smiling. "Revali said he'd be here, so maybe try looking for him from the landing? I'll catch up with you two shortly."

And she was off. Dress flowing behind her, she turned quite fast and headed across the bridge ahead of him. Link watched her for a moment, not bothering to hide his disappointed look, but followed anyways and headed up the steps towards the landing. It was a beautiful day outside; it usually was in Rito Village, but now that Link had a higher vantage point he could really appreciate how soft the wind was, and the view of Totori Lake. Vah Medoh, the giant bird beast, was soaring slowly through the sky in a circle around the pillar Rito Village was perched on.

It wasn't long before the wind below him picked up in an unusual way; a dead giveaway that Revali was on his way. The Rito shot up into the sky above Link, spiraling through the gale, and landed delicately on the wooden railing ahead of him. Without a moment to lose, the bird began talking.

"Impressive, I know. Very few can achieve a mastery of the sky," Revali began, looking down his golden beak at Link. The bow on his back shone in the sun, clean as ever, and despite Link's reservations about the Champion, he couldn't help but admire the weapon. Ritos always made the most beautiful bows. Revali had said something else about how amazing he was at creating that updraft, but Link had only just begun listening again. Revali had a tendency to… go on. And on. The boy finally perked up when Revali mentioned Ganon.

"Are you listening? With proper utilization of my superior skills, I see no reason why we couldn't easily dispense of Ganon," he repeated himself, hopping down from the ledge and waving a navy wing in front of Link's face. The Hylian brushed away navy blue feathers. Revali rolled his eyes and began to circle him, slowly.

"Now then - my ability to explore the firmament is certainly of note, but let's not - pardon me for being so blunt - let's not forget that I am the most skilled archer of all the Rito."

Revali was so close, Link was worried he would see the cringed look the Hylian was wearing. _Yikes._ He was stunningly full of himself, but with how many Ritos there were, Link knew as well as he did that it was the truth.

"Yet despite these truths, it seems I've been tapped to merely _assist_ you," Revali continued, hissing his last word and moving until he was standing directly in front of Link, wings clasped behind his back. "All because you happen to have that darkness-sealing sword on your back. I mean… it's just asinine," he continued, sighing and shaking his head. As much as Link wanted to mouth off on him - and he could, Zelda wasn't around - he kept quiet. Despite Revali's egotistical character, that was some truth in what he'd said. As of now, Link didn't know why the sword had chosen him. He had spent a little time meditating with it, but not much.

"Unless…" Revali's eyes flicked sideways, focusing on the boy, and he moved closer, "you think you can prove me wrong?"

The falcon's face was uncomfortably close to Link now, but he stood firm, staring back at Revali's piercing green gaze. It was intimidating, to say the least, but the Rito seemed to revel in seeing the concerned look on Link's face.

"Maybe we should just settle this one-on-one. But where?"

It was painfully obvious that Revali was setting Link up for something he knew he couldn't succeed at. A flying race? An archery test? His voice was a dead giveaway, but worse, the Rito didn't seem to care.

"Oh, I know - how 'bout up there!"

Standing back, Revali swung his wing around and up, gesturing to Vah Medoh, glittering in the sun. Link glanced up at it with a bored expression, then returned his focus to Revali, who knew he had already 'won.'

"Oh, you must pardon me! I forgot you have no way of making it up to that Divine Beast on your own," he laughed, in as condescending as a voice as he could muster, and at this point Link could hardly keep himself from blurting out, " _I didn't choose this!"_ because any misstep, any dissent, would just make things worse for him. Revali prepared for takeoff, shooting Link a smug look over his feathered shoulder, and shot into the sky towards Vah Medoh.

"Good luck sealing the darkness!"

Link only watched him for a moment before sighing and turning, just to see Zelda approaching from the other side of the landing. How long had she been listening?

"I thought you were going to make some effort to at least get along with the other Champions," she said with a frown, though it was obvious even she knew it was too much of a request to ask him to befriend Revali. The Rito had made up his mind - he didn't like him. All Link could do was let him speak his mind.

"I get along fine with the others," he replied suddenly, and then was taken aback at how brazenly he'd just spoken to her. Zelda looked equally surprised, but he couldn't tell if it was a good or bad surprise, and quickly bowed his head, focusing his gaze on the wood below his feet.

"Well, that's… good. Then I'm heading to Goron City next. I want to make some adjustments to Vah Rudania," Zelda replied curtly, folding her arms uncomfortably. "Good to hear you actually have a voice," she added, glancing up at him before turning and heading back down the steps. Link appreciated what she said, but at the same time it made him all the less inclined to actually talk. It was clear she didn't like him. Hopefully it would just be a matter of time before they got along better.

Zelda hadn't left for home that night - instead, she stayed at the inn, most likely so she could make a one-day-trip to Goron City the next morning. Link couldn't sleep, and that night, he laid on the wooden landing, legs dangling over the edge as he stared at the stars. He could still see the inn from where he was, and Rito Village was quiet and safe with the squadron of archers nearly always circling it, so he didn't have much to worry about in terms of Zelda's safety.

"Ooh, someone's stargazing?" a familiar voice sang, and Link looked back to see an upside-down Revali walking slowly towards him. He returned his gaze to the stars.

"You didn't make it for our one-on-one at Vah Medoh," the bird sighed, and to Link's surprise, the Rito took a seat next to the Hylian Champion. "So _that_ would mean Revali one, Link zero."

"Yep," Link responded quietly, "congratulations."

"Oh! So you do speak, Hero? Why so few words, hm?" Despite Revali's usual condescending tone, there was a tinge of curiosity in his voice now, and Link took enjoyment in at least having _some_ mystery over the Rito Champion. He smiled a little, and didn't reply. He could feel Revali looking at him in confusion.

"Strange for you to have been chosen as the Princess' appointed knight," Revali said, shaking his head. "The King may as well have appointed that sword alone, if that's why you're such a big deal."

"I'm not a big deal," Link replied calmly.

"No?" Revali countered, shooting a sharp glare at Link. "You're not, are you? Just the individual solely responsible for the Princess' wellbeing. Just the one the Master Sword chose, so you can strike down Calamity Ganon? You're Hyrule's _Hero._ Wrong as always, Link!" The Rito retorted, smug as ever.

"Gosh, thanks, Revali. I didn't know you thought of me that way," Link replied quickly before he could help himself, a sly grin on his face as he looked quickly back at the Rito, taking in the surprised expression as fast as it disappeared off the other Champion's face. Revali narrowed his eyes for a moment and then let out breath of laughter.

"I suppose I can let you have a just _one_ last laugh… before this calm disappears. And believe me, it will," Revali assured him, standing up from his perch, stretching briefly, and meeting Link's gaze again. "Remember, if you don't keep her safe, you have my bow and I to answer to," he said dismissively as he walked away, waving one wing and keeping the other behind his back. Link took a deep breath and nodded to himself. He'd have many more to answer to, but the Rito was right. Revali probably would be the one to kill him if he let anything happen to Zelda.


	3. Goron City

(( Hey! Thanks for the follows guys, I appreciate it. I've got at least two updates for you today... maybe more. The story will be picking up pretty quick here, and soon the chapters should be getting a bit longer! ))

Zelda left the Rito inn early in the morning, giving Link a bit of a confused glance as she passed him at the entrance, resting on the wooden railing.

"Have you been- waiting here all night?" she asked, but he simply gave her a small smile in greeting and swung the master sword over his shoulders. "You know you… don't have to come to Goron City if you don't want to," she suggested, and Link was a little taken aback, but said nothing. His duty was to protect her and keep an eye on her - the King was quite specific that outside the castle walls, she had to be watched. And Link, if he was correct in assuming the role of Appointed Knight… was sworn to her life.

As they headed towards Goron City, Link followed a few steps behind Zelda as usual, his gaze either resting on her back or keeping an eye on the surrounding area. Death Mountain wasn't a place he visited frequently, due in part to the environment not being super friendly to visitors, but the inhabitants - the Gorons - were friendly folk for the most part. Daruk in particular always seemed to look out for Link, and it was much appreciated.

The Princess was holding the Sheikah Slate in both hands, glancing at it now and then as they made their way slowly upwards.

"We'll need to make some adjustments on that Divine Beast so Daruk can manage it as easily as possible," she said, sounding a little more cheerful now that they were doing something productive. "He's figured how to get it to move, however… it's apparent we still have much more to learn."

She mused quietly for another moment before speaking again: "But to think, the Divine Beast was built by people… that means we should be able to understand how it works and use it to our advantage. These Divine Beasts… if we want to turn back Calamity Ganon, they're our best hope," she added with a sigh, but suddenly her walking slowed. Link followed suit, keeping his distance, and becoming increasingly curious to hear what was on her mind. Her contributions to Hyrule's efforts in preparation were more than he had previously realised. She was an incredible asset to the team, and Link couldn't help wondering if King Rhoam knew all that she was doing, daily, to learn and instill hope in others.

She had stopped walking, arms dropped to her side, and Link paused, keeping his blue gaze steady on her.

"Tell me the truth," she began, turning slightly but not looking at him, "how proficient are you right now, wielding that sword on your back? Legend says that an ancient voice resonates inside it. Can you hear it yet… Hero?"

Her tone was specifically sad, like she knew the answer already. Link could swing the sword, but he couldn't hear it yet. He'd had plenty of dreams, specifically of a blindingly blue figure, her voice faraway and distant as she tried to reach him. His instinct told him it was the sword, reaching out, but he couldn't make sense of her words.

His stomach sank. _Hero._ He didn't have the heart to tell her no. He also couldn't dream of lying to the Princess of Hyrule. To her obvious disappointment, he stayed silent, mind racing, and knew he had to work harder, as she did, in meditating and growing stronger alongside the sword. Maybe then she would have more respect for him, rather than disdain.

She remained quiet for the majority of the trip after that. It was late afternoon by the time the two had clambered into Goron City, welcomed cheerfully by Daruk, who insisted they bunk with him instead of spending money for the inn.

"Nonsense! I'm not going to let my guests stay anywhere other than home. And my home is your home," the Goron declared as he led them towards Vah Rudania, the giant lizard beast, which was perched a little ways from the volcano itself. At least it was more accessible than Vah Medoh, but Daruk was having a little more trouble than Revali was - as much as Link hated to admit it - in controlling the contraption.

"So, Daruk! Fill me in on the progress you've made with Rudania," Zelda said cheerfully, and the Goron paused as they approached, making it a bit of a frown.

"Not bad, Princess. It's just a little shaky now that I'm getting used to the controls. Maybe it's the legs that are throwing me off… Gorons aren't used to something so delicate," he chuckled, resting his hands on his rocky hips.

"Hm… maybe I'll take a look at the inner terminals and let you know if I can't do anything. Perhaps it's tilting too much?"

While she mused to herself, she headed towards the entrance to the beast, and Daruk and Link exchanged bemused glances before following along. She tended to get lost in her work, but her obvious concern for Daruk's ease-of-access with the Divine Beast was endearing all the same.

"Come on, little guy, we'll let her do her work. Princess, we'll be up top, alright?"

"Okay, I'll meet you up there," she called back, waving at Daruk with a smile before hopping down into the inside of the beast. Link followed Daruk through a couple passages, finally climbing up a ladder and finding himself up top the Divine Beast. The view of Hyrule from up on Death Mountain was stunning; the Castle, settled comfortably in the valley, Lanayru to the east and the great forest to the west.

As they reached the top, Daruk's eyes focused and the lizard took a few shaky steps before letting out a croaky roar.

"Tell you what, it sure is a blast piloting a toy like this around," Daruk exclaimed, bending his head a bit to the side in what Link assumed was cracking his own neck. "Let those other champions know - they better eat their gravel if they want to keep up with Daruk."

Link smiled in response, but Daruk was already distracted.

"Speaking of which, can you believe this view? Just look at all those delectable rocks sprinkled on those mountains... Mighty tasty."

Link nodded in agreement, though the notion of rocks being tasty was beyond his comprehension.

"I may not know a whole lot about this Calamity Ganon thing," Daruk reminded him, turning to Link on a more serious note, "but mark my words - I'll protect this land of ours to the death. Right, little guy?"

Daruk's hearty laugh was followed by a hard slap on the back to the Hylian, and Link staggered forwards, completely winded, though he did his best to not let it show. Eyes wide, he waited for air to slowly fill his chest again, and in the meantime stared at Daruk while doing his best not to let his eyes water.

"By the way, congrats on becoming the Princess' appointed knight. That's a really big deal! Protecting the King's daughter… no pressure," he chuckled, resting his massive stone hand on Link's shoulder in much softer fashion this time, which was a relief. Link could feel himself breathing again, though the reminder that he was responsible for her wellbeing was enough to nearly take it away again. Even now, as she worked on the inside of Rudania, he was hardpressed to not go down and keep an eye on her.

"Seriously though, the Princess is a strong personality. So strong, she can't quite see the range for the peaks… remember that, and you'll be fine."

Link didn't quite have time to make sense of "see the range for the peaks" before the two of them were distracted by an ominous rumbling. Rudania didn't shake as much as the mountain seemed to be, and Daruk muttered a "what the…" before him and Link looked up to see the same thing; a couple massive boulders, dislodged from their perch, falling towards them.

Daruk moved quite fast then, positioning himself between the boulder and Link, and letting out a roar as he pushed his fists forward. A red ball formed around him, and the boulder smashed against it, breaking into pieces that flew past them as Link held his arms up protectively. The onslaught ended as fast as it began, and smaller bits of rocks scattered about the top of Rudania.

"So… that was a little strange," Daruk echoed Link's thoughts. "As far as I know, Death Mountain has been quiet for decades. But if the mountain is shivering enough to send down boulders of that size, then…"

"What happened!"

Link looked quickly to Zelda's voice, and saw the Princess come running up from the inside of the beast.

"I heard an awful rumbling, and Daruk yell - oh-" she paused in her panic, letting out a breath of relief. "You're both alright. Must have just been a landslide… my apologies," she added, looking slightly embarrassed. Daruk and Link exchanged brief glances, but said nothing.

"How'd it go in there, Princess?" Daruk asked quickly, and though his voice was gravely and shakey, Zelda seemed not to notice.

"Oh! Quite good, I think I've managed to make his walking a little more… sturdy. It should feel more comfortable for you, but let me know if you need further adjustments," she explained, smiling towards Daruk. Link took the moment to soak up her expression. When it was just the two of them, she rarely smiled. It was really very beautiful on her, but he would never have the courage to say so.

"Great! Appreciate that. Guess we should head back before the sun sets, you two have places to be tomorrow, eh?"

Zelda folded her arms, and Rudania turned as Daruk piloted it back towards Goron City.

"I've got some more shrine research to be done on my way to Gerudo Desert, yes," she replied, speaking pointedly at Daruk and not at Link. "Some time _alone_ to concentrate might be all I need."

Daruk was a little slow, but not that slow, and didn't respond to Zelda's harsh tones, just nodded understandingly. Link tried to enjoy the view as long as they had it, but his realisation that he was the Appointed Knight of a Princess completely uninterested in him was a bit of a downer. Link avoided both their gazes for the remainder of the trip, until they arrived at Daruk's house.

The Hylians politely declined a rock roast dinner, and Zelda went quickly to sleep, leaving Link in Daruk's front room. The Goron Champion wasn't a small-talk sort of fellow, and bid Link good luck and safe travels before retiring for the night. Link laid on the stoney couch for a couple hours, focusing on the Master Sword, trying desperately to hear what it was saying. At night, it was easier to concentrate somehow, and Link was beginning to make out a couple recurring words.

"Master," was one of them, and something that sounded like "Five," though it was still hard to tell.


	4. The Gerudo Champion

When Link woke in the morning, he was surprised how long he'd slept, but figured it was due to his lack of sleep the night before in Rito Village. He sat up slowly, muscles aching at having slept on a hot stone slab all night, and wondered if he'd have time for a dip in a hot spring before Zelda headed out. 

"Oh, afternoon', Link," Daruk greeted him as he came in from outside. The light that shone through the door was brighter than Link anticipated, and he blinked in surprise.

"After- what?!" Link exclaimed, struggling to his feet and quickly sheathing the Master Sword, and throwing it over his back. "Is Zelda here?" 

"The Princess? She left pretty early this morning. Heading for Gerudo," Daruk said, looking at Link somewhat bewildered. "She said you - knew… was gunna meet you… oh." 

The realisation hit the Goron a bit late and he laughed in spite of himself. "Hah! She's a clever one. Sorry, Link… guess you better run after her, huh?" 

He had hardly got the words out of his mouth before Link was running out the door. 

"Thanks for the couch," he called back as quickly as possible before sprinting through Goron City, down the rocky path and past the mines of Death Mountain at breakneck speed. How could she do that? He knew she wanted time alone, but this was the deal - orders from the King - and if anything happened, he'd be executed by archery by Revali, which was bound to be messy, let alone the trouble he'd get into with the King and his… his own father… 

By the time he got to his horse at the bottom of the mountain, Link was downright angry, and began pushing his stallion a bit too hard as they headed back towards the castle and onwards. He was clenching his teeth. Who knew what could happen to her? Why was she so insistent on going out alone? As long as he had to watch over her, neither of them had proper privacy, so wasn't it - well - almost fair? He shook his head to himself, guilt ridden at the thought of what he'd done. Knights didn't sleep in. Worse, the Chosen Hero should be the last person to sleep in. He couldn't let it happen again. But Knights also didn't let their emotions get the better of them, so when he finally spotted Zelda's white stallion on a cliffside on the way to Gerudo, he tried his best to calm himself. 

She was examining a shrine. And she was fine, thank Hylia, but Link was still upset at the situation. Hopping off his horse, he walked towards her, and she turned quite sharpy to face him. 

"I thought I made it clear that I'm not in need of an escort," she snapped, walking towards him but stopping a few feet away. His mouth dropped open in surprise. She was… visibly angry. 

"It seems I'm the only one with a mind of my own! I, the person in question, am fine, regardless of the King's orders." She stared at him once more, and Link steeled himself for what more was to come. 

"Return to the castle. ...and tell that to my Father, please." 

The Princess turned on her heel and began to walk away, towards her horse. Link took a moment to calm his thoughts - he couldn't argue with her, and she had given him an order, but… well, the King took priority, and leaving her here to go to the Castle to tell him "Zelda is fine" just wouldn't go over well at all. He turned after her, strong in his resolve, and got ready to get back on his horse, when she turned around again. 

"And stop following me!" she snapped now, clearly angry but also looking quite sad. He did nothing but look back at her helplessly, and when she noticed the expression on his face, she seemed to regret what she'd done, but hopped on her horse nonetheless and took off down the path towards Gerudo. Link watched her go for a few moments, letting some distance between them build, before swinging his legs over his own stallion. He tried to ignore his stomach rumbling. 

Letting out a sigh, he directed his horse back down the cliffside, and followed from a safer distance as to not let her notice. If it had to be like this for the duration of his time as her Appointed Knight - which could be a lifetime - he wasn't sure how long he could take it, but surely he'd at least get good at sneaking around on horseback. 

The trip to Gerudo was somewhat lengthy, but Link was relieved they didn't arrive in the desert until nighttime, since it was rather cold. Still, even from a distance, Link could tell that Zelda was chilly. Now and again she would look over his shoulder for him, and he'd have to duck or hide; if she had noticed him, she wasn't doing anything about it. 

He watched her venture into the desert then, and paused at the ranch to board his horse alongside hers. He offered the steed some well-earned apples, and ran a hand softly down its face. 

"Thanks for putting up with me today, Flint. I should only be home a couple days," he reassured him. Though he knew the horse couldn't completely understand, the affection was clearly received and the stallion gave Link's hand a friendly nibble before the Knight left into the desert. 

Zelda had one major saving grace coming up; Gerudo Town only allowed vai, or women, into their walls. Link waited until she had gone inside, then set up camp nearby one of the shrines sitting outside. The Guards were sympathetic to him, but a law was a law. He couldn't follow her there. Thankfully, he also knew she was incredibly safe. 

With a fire set up in front of him, Link let sleep come easy, and the dream he had that night was more real than any he had had so far. The blue figure came better into focus; it looked like a woman in a cloak, and spoke to him in clearer words. 

"Master Link, I am the Spirit of the Sword, chosen by the Goddess Hylia. My name is Fi." 

That was all he received. The introduction, and the name, felt heavy and important to Link, but he knew somewhere deep down that they had met before. He would use the blade with far more purpose from now on, to know it was imbued with a spirit chosen by the Goddess.

When he first woke in the morning, Link kept himself awake, despite the sun only beginning to rise. It was a good thing he did, because only a few minutes later did Zelda and Urbosa herself walk out from the town gates. Link stood quickly, brushing sand off his clothes. He must have done a good job sneaking around the day prior, because she looked genuinely surprised to see him. 

"Are you serious?" Zelda asked, folding her arms and looking at Link with her head tilted. 

"Please get used to it, Princess," he replied in as polite a tone as he could muster, dipping his head to her. He could nearly hear the surprised note of her mouth dropping open, but what followed was the familiar sound of Urbosa bursting into laughter. 

"Now that's an Appointed Knight for you," the Gerudo Champion laughed, approaching Link and slapping a hand on his shoulder. He glanced up at her, casting her the smallest of relieved smiles. 

"We're going on survey today for shrines and any sign of Calamity Ganon within the desert. She'll be in my hands and perfectly safe, don't you worry," Urbosa said, and Link let his shoulders relax. He knew he could take her word for it. 

"And Vah Naboris, right?" Urbosa asked Zelda, who was avoiding Link's apologetic stare, and nodded absently. It was clear she didn't want Link to know where she would be at any point in the day, but at least her and Urbosa could spend some time alone without Link having to follow. 

The day passed slowly. Link laid in the shade behind the shrine for a good majority of it, his head resting sideways, staring at the Master Sword. Maybe it was as stifled by the heat as he was. When he heard the roar of Vah Naboris in the distance, Link knew it was time to get up and join them on the Divine Beast - whether Zelda liked it or not. The sun was setting by then, at least, so the trip wasn't completely unbearable. 

When he departed his sand seal and climbed up the beast, he found Urbosa and Zelda sitting among some pillows and blankets, with a small lantern, and view of the desert beyond. Urbosa tilted her head back to look at him, but didn't move otherwise. Zelda was clearly asleep, her head resting on the Gerudo's shoulder. Link felt a quick but familiar tinge of jealousy. He wasn't sure of his feelings for her yet, but he already felt overwhelmingly responsible fornot just her safety, but her emotions as well. While he was glad Urbosa had relieved him of this for one day, he wanted to be able to provide for Zelda the way she did… but perhaps her protective and motherly ways were something Link would never be able to offer. After all, the Princess had lost her own mother at far too young an age. 

"Ah, well, you certainly got her fast. I should have expected as much, from the Princess' own appointed knight. She was working hard all day today… still as the sands, now." Urbosa explained quietly, her gaze leaving Link momentarily to look down at Zelda. Link's eyes followed as Urbosa continued, "So? Spill it boy, have the two of you been getting along all right?" 

Link looked back up at Urbosa quickly, and neglected to respond, dropping his eyes instead to the stone floor. 

"It's okay. I know. Your silence speaks volumes. You know, she gets frustrated every time she looks up and sees you carrying that sword on your back…" 

Link was about to respond then - Urbosa seemed to understand - but she cut him off. 

"But not in the way you think," the Gerudo cut him off. "It makes her feel like a failure when it comes to her own destiny." 

Link's eyes widened. So she didn't hate him just because he had to watch her, she… resented him, for her own shortcomings. Was that better or worse than being a simple annoyance? 

"Don't worry, it's not like you carry blame in any of this," Urbosa continued, looking back at him over Zelda's blonde hair, flickering in the firelight, "It's unfortunate. She's put in more than enough time… ever since she was a young girl, she's gone through rigorous daily routines to show her dedication. She once passed out in freezing waters trying to access this sealing power… and she has nothing to show for it." 

Link let out a frustrated breath at hearing this. So there was good reason for him to watch her. She was reckless as well. But what Urbosa was telling him was breaking his heart; of course then, she would resent him. He was presented the sword out of thin air, and everyone knew the sword didn't know his Knight class grades or family lineage. It was just something in him that made him the Hero, whereas Zelda… she had been fighting all her life for her legacy, and had received nothing in return. 

"She really is quite… special," Urbosa finished with a sigh, pushing aside a stray strand of hair from Zelda's sleeping face, and Link wished he could better see her, but he stayed his distance from the two women. Now, he felt guilt about the ceremony Daruk had requested; the way he'd spoken to her. How could he tell her that he understood? He could have been a hardass, and followed her closer and said he was simply following orders, but there had always been part of him that wanted to at least be her friend, if they were to be working so close. He just had to make these efforts within the stipulations of also being her Appointed Knight. 

"You be sure to protect her with your life," Urbosa reminded him. "It's quite the honor." 

Link nodded in response. His heart ached from the emotional information Urbosa had given him, but he was grateful for it. 

"The night brings a chill. We should take her in. Or…" a mischievous grin spread across Urbosa's lips, and Link had an inkling as to what was about to happen, but the snap! of her fingers and the resulting CRRASH of lightning that followed not far away still shocked him. Zelda awoke with a start. 

"Urbosa! What was that? Did you feel that?" she gasped, then slowly turned and did a double take at Link, standing a few feet away. 

"Wait, what? How did you - what are you doing here?" she asked Link, sounding somewhat accusatory, but in her confusion Urbosa merely began laughing again. "What's so funny?" 

"Come on, Princess. Time to get inside before we freeze in the desert night. Link here is just doing his job," Urbosa added, with a wink in Link's direction. He couldn't look at Zelda now, much as he wanted to. He felt guilty for knowing the reason behind her resentment, and her motivation. As she walked past with Urbosa, she muttered a small "thank-you, Link, that's all." He savored the sound of his name on her lips, shut his eyes for a moment, then turned to follow them back to Gerudo Town.


	5. Saved

((A shorter chapter I know, but p cute and some character development all the same. This was one of my favourite memories in-game... the piano that plays as she looks up at him, protecting her, is so feelsy and good. I also listened to the "Life in Ruins" theme you can find on Youtube while I wrote the end of this chapter... it seems to fit, seeing as this is a major turning point in their relationship!

SORRY for the multiple chapter adds... I was having some weird issue where they'd look fine, but then publish with all this coding... I think I've fixed it now! ))

The following day, Zelda took off on a journey towards the highlands on their way back to Hyrule Castle, and Link followed tentatively. Urbosa was busy and unable to join them, so they went alone, Zelda holding the Sheikah slate as always. Link kept his distance, and before noon they were a ways away from Gerudo Town. She was quite the climber, at times going a bit faster than Link anticipated and disappearing from view. It was clearly easier for her to remain cooler in the sun than him; he found himself picking hydromelons at any chance he could get.

"Now, I've heard the Yiga Clan has been a little more… rash, recently," Zelda said worriedly as they continued along a ledge. "It's actually quite depressing, that members of the Sheikah turned into something so horrible. I wish there was a way to reconcile."

"Please don't," Link replied quietly, and Zelda looked at him suspiciously over her shoulder.

"Why not? I'm a diplomat at heart. They're strong, and stealthy… they would make great allies."

"They've pledged allegiance to Ganon," Link said, exasperated, " _you're_ their number one enemy." Zelda was, at the same time, the first and last person he'd expect to want to try to make amends with them. But he understood her struggle; unlike the occasional other monsters in the world of Hyrule, the Yiga were human.

She knew he was right, but huffed all the same, hopping down a ledge that was in their path. Link took a moment alone to shake his head. He was learning more and more how necessary it was to watch her. It was amazing she hadn't gotten herself into worse trouble over the years.

A yell distracted him from his thoughts. It was Zelda. He tripped over himself, trying to get past the ledge, and when he looked over saw a Yiga chasing her away from him. The mask, with the upside-down Sheikah eye, was unmistakeable.

"Shit. _Shit_."

Hurriedly he jumped over the ledge, anger boiling in his chest, that he had been correct. His eyes honed in on the sharp sickle the man pursuing Zelda was carrying. She was doing a good job of getting away, until two more Yiga clan members slid out from either side of some boulders ahead and trapped her; she fell to the ground, and by this point Link had broken into a sprint, hand resting on the handle of his sword as he got closer.

Zelda cried out in fear as the first Yiga began to strike down at her with his sickle, but Link was there on time, drawing his sword and hitting the weapon out of the man's hand while also slicing his sword across the man's neck. The split-second decision had taken away a life. It was gruesome, and Link couldn't help but be relieved that Zelda had shut her eyes tight, and hadn't seen. The body fell, slumped to the ground, and Link turned quickly to face the other two as the sickle finally spiralled through the air and landed a ways away. He gripped his sword, staring determinedly at them, and they backed up, unsure in their resolve to face him; he'd just killed one of their own. The knight had to try not to focus on this. Monsters were one thing, but knowing that the Yiga were human was enough to give him nightmares, but actual guilt would never come - he'd do whatever it took to protect the Princess. His heart racing, and feeling Zelda staring up at him, Link felt, for the first time, a proper purpose.

He could hear Zelda's heavy breathing behind him, but as long as the Yiga were in front of him, he dared not take his eyes away from them. The standoff was beginning to last too long for his liking, so Link took a threatening step forward. One of the Yiga ran, but the other remained; as he attempted to bypass the knight for the Princess, Link yelled, sidestepping and hitting him hard in the gut with the handle of his sword. The Yiga staggered backwards to his knees, let out a "tch" and then disappeared in a flurry of cards and flame.

Sheathing his sword, Link let out the breath he'd been holding in and turned to Zelda, who was still on the ground and staring up at him with a new sort of expression. He offered her his hand, and she took it, shakily coming to her feet, and looking clearly embarrassed.

"Th-thank you-"

"You don't need to thank me," Link cut her off, pulling her away from the Yiga body which was beginning to bleed into the dirt. "That's what I'm here for."

"Of course, but I will thank you nonetheless," she argued, and Link couldn't help but smile a little.

"There's the stubborn Princess I know," he responded, and Zelda looked only a little offended before finally giving in and smiling. It took Link longer than it should have to realise that he was still holding onto her hand, and when he did, he let go too fast and ended up feeling a heat rise to his cheeks.

"I… Link, I owe you an apology," she said suddenly, and Link looked at her in surprise. "I should never have been so hard on you. You… didn't choose this, and you've done almost _too_ good of a job keeping an eye on me," she admitted with a soft smile before continuing, "I should have been grateful from the beginning rather than snapping at you. You're incredibly selfless, I - I don't-"

Link looked at her in surprise to see her green eyes welling up with tears.

"I don't deserve- I can't even figure out this sealing power, it's all I'm good for, but I just… haven't been able to unlock it at all. I'm so sorry," she finally said, arms dropping next to her and tears flowing freely. Besides the initial shock at the Princess of Hyrule actually _apologising_ to him, the sight of her crying was too much to bear. Link closed the distance between the two of them, taking her hands in his with a firm grip, and lifted them together in a tight clasp.

"I'm sworn to protect you," he began, his voice soft, "and I will do so with my life. You are… my commander, and commander of the other Champions," he chose his words carefully, still avoiding her gaze. He wasn't sure yet if he could handle meeting her striking green eyes this close, not when they were still bright with tears. "There is no one more deserving in all of Hyrule… my Princess, Zelda."

He knelt then, still holding one of her hands and dipping his head towards the ground. Her tears had stopped, and unknown to him, the girl was staring at him with a mixture of disbelief and gratefulness that she would never be able to put into words. Even now, the Knight didn't forget his manners.

She lifted at his hand a bit, gesturing for him to get to his feet, and he followed suit, finally looking at her straight on. Her eyes glinted with new resolve.

"If all I have to do is cry to get you to open up and speak to me, I think I will have to do that more often," she said thoughtfully, sniffing away the last of her tears. She gave him a smile and finally let go of his hands. "Or was it the, near-death scenario? I think more monsters are in order," she decided jokingly. Despite her sarcasm, he could see red on her cheeks. The Knight looked hopelessly towards her, but smiled in relief knowing he had brought her back out of her self-deprecation, at least for now.

"If- if I may," Link said nervously, and Zelda turned quickly, looking at him curiously.

"I know I don't talk much…" he began, taking a deep breath, "ever since I got the sword, it's… a new sort of responsibility. It's easier for me to bear it silently." Even when he was explaining himself, it was hard to choose his words. "The Chosen Hero, the- Appointed Knight for you, Princess," he finally looked back up at her, relieved to see her listening intently, "has to look strong. They believe in me. It's my... "

"Destiny," Zelda finished his sentence for him, and Link nodded silently.

"Then we're in this, together, from now on," she decided, moving back to him. Now she was the one who grasped his hands, a smile on her face, tears drying on her cheeks. Link stared back at her, having no idea what to say in reply, but exceedingly grateful to hear those words.

"We have to be a proper team. I promise, I won't snap at you for following me. There's… more monsters around now, anyways," she said, in a defeated sort of tone. "We're in this together. And Link, outside the castle, you don't have to be so… formal! Just call me Zelda," she finished, looking at him with resolve. He let out a breath of a laugh, shoulders relaxing.

"I can do that. ...Zelda."


	6. A Day Off

(( Fluffy-ish chapter, here we goooooo ))

A day-trip to look for shrines near the Military Camp had ended in slaughter. Link sat atop the hill he had to fight his entire way up, still breathing heavily, when Zelda knelt down suddenly, closer than he had expected.

"One of them got you," she stated, immediately pulling a small cloth out from her bag and tapping it gently against the top left of Link's forehead. He grimaced slightly from the sting, but appreciated the distraction from the Princess being so close to him. They'd been getting along much better since the desert, and now Link found himself somewhat torn. She was such a strong personality, as Daruk said; but his previous crush… the girl he thought he loved, Mipha, was increasingly faraway in his mind. They had been close, but now that so much had happened, Zelda was leaving much more of an impression. Link felt guilty for it as a result. He wasn't known to be fickle. Not to mention, if any crush was going to be completely hopeless, the Princess of Hyrule was it. But he couldn't control his heart. Just his mouth.

"There's a fine line between courage and recklessness, you know," Zelda reminded him suddenly, jolting him out of his daydream. She was looking at him with a type of certainty. "As brave as you are, that does _not_ make you immortal," she added, tucking away the cloth. Link shrugged with a grin, finally sheathing the Master Sword. He'd have to clean it later.

"That cut doesn't look too bad now, actually. You'll be fine for now."

"Thanks," Link replied, touching it tenderly and then looking back out at the swath of defeated monsters he'd left in his path. "Did I mention to you I heard the sword?"

"What!" Zelda gasped, and Link was taken aback at her level of surprise.

"Oh - I'm sorry, just - tell me these things sooner!" she exclaimed, giving him an apologetic smile. "So? What did it say?"

"It introduced itself to me," Link replied, looking down at it now, in its case. "It - er, she - is a spirit chosen by Hylia. Named Fi."

"That's wonderful news, Link," Zelda said happily, though as he looked back at her he could see the slightest pain in her eyes. He knew she was happy for him, but his progress would always remind her of the lack of her own. "And very interesting! A spirit chosen by Hylia… so it - sorry, she? - lives within the sword? She must have been there, ten thousand years ago, then…" Zelda mused, and Link was a little surprised he hadn't realised this himself.

"I wonder if we'll be able to ask her about the past, and the Sheikah technology," Zelda said, looking at the blade from next to Link. "Keep working on it. I'm proud of you, Hero."

Before Link had the chance to respond with anything, the Princess was already looking out at the bodies of the monsters along the path.

"It seems that… not only has the frequency of these types of attacks been on the rise, but the scale beasts we're facing as well. I fear that… this might be an omen which portends the return of Calamity Ganon," she fretted, but before Link could console her, she'd stood up and was brushing dust off her clothes.

"If that's the case, I'm ready to expect the worst. We need to make preparations as soon as possible."

Link stood up a moment later, nodding in response. "Right."

"I have some… herbology, I guess you could say, that I wouldn't mind getting done today before we head in. Care to join me?" Zelda had turned back to look at him as they headed back down towards the Castle. "Something a little more relaxing than killing monsters?" she suggested, but her voice gave away that she wanted him there; not just as Appointed Knight, this time, but as a friend.

"Sure," Link said simply, unsure what she really meant by herbology. Her interests were so varied and vast, he couldn't help wondering how she kept up with all of them. She led him back down to their horses, and after that, into the ridge above Hyrule field, which was filled with wildflowers.

Pulling out the Sheikah slate, she began taking pictures of the flowers, all the while chatting to him.

"The flowers in Hyrule aren't only beautiful, they can also be used as ingredients for a variety of things! Take safflina, for example - there's so many different types, and they all have different properties depending on where they grow!"

Her enthusiasm was catchy. Link had never cared much for plants besides the ones he ate, but he felt now that he could listen to Zelda talk about them for hours. He wondered how much time she had spent in the field by herself before; she had some friends in the castle, sure, but many of the royalty would never have gotten their hands as dirty as she did. He felt privileged to be able to enjoy this time with her, and happy to provide her company.

Something distracted her not a moment later, and she moved quickly, putting the Sheikah slate away and kneeling forwards to a new flower, alone among the others. Link leaned curiously from behind her, trying to see what she was looking at. It had a much bigger bloom than the rest, vibrant royal blue and white in colour.

"This one here is called the Silent Princess… despite our efforts, we can't get them to grow domestically yet. They only thrive here, in the wild. All we can hope… is that the species will be strong enough to prosper, on its own." Zelda had fallen quiet, and Link craned to look at her face, to make sure she was okay - but her sudden gasp surprised him. She fell forwards, hand clasped over something unknown in the grass, and she practically fell entirely into the dirt as she did so. Link was about to reach forward to help her up, but she immediately got to her knees and looked at him excitedly, despite the couple petals and blades of grass now stuck in her hair.

"I can't believe it - I actually caught one! This delicacy is known to have very, _very_ potent effects in the right circumstances! Ta da!"

She shuffled closer to him, and opened her hands to reveal - a frog. Link was a little surprised, but also impressed, that the Princess had managed to catch one in her bare hands. Even more surprising, she didn't seem to care about holding onto it; weren't they slimy? As she continued to tell Link more about the frog, he could not help but stare at her, amused.

"Research from the castle shows that ingesting one of these could actually augment certain abilities! We wouldn't be in a controlled environment out here, but with your level of physical fitness… you'd be a perfect candidate for the study! Go on! Try it!"

Link moved back from the frog as Zelda held it closer to him. He felt immediately conflicted; as much as he wanted to make her happy, and eating the frog surely would, it was still alive and something about that bugged him. He was uninterested in eating raw frog - maybe cooked - but not a second later, it took the opportunity to escape from her hands.

The Princess looked stunned, and for a moment resembled a child that had dropped a plate of dessert, and Link snickered a little before bursting out into a full laugh. Zelda watched him in shock - he had never done that, not in front of her, not since receiving the sword - and the Princess sat back on her knees, content to watch him let loose, at least for now.

"You're crazy," he told her, finally coming out of his laughter. "Couldn't we at least cook it?"

"Well there's - there's been a dispute on whether the properties are most potent before or after cooking," she replied needlessly, laughing in spite of herself.

Link met her gaze then, the two of them still smiling, and took the opportunity to stare. In the setting sun, the knight found himself trapped in her eyes. They were like emeralds - or the leaves on the trees above them. It was a green that made him feel more alive.

The wind picked up a warm breeze that tossed the grass and flowers around them, and Zelda seemed to realize how long she had been simply staring back at him.

"The sunset from here is beautiful," she said quickly, turning to look at the horizon, although Link was sure she could tell that he was still staring at her. Finally he tore his eyes away, and let out a small "mm" in agreement.

"Link, I… want you to know that I am trying my best," she said suddenly, head dipping as she spoke, "I hope days like this… don't make you feel that I'm slacking off."

"Don't," Link replied simply, and Zelda looked at him in surprise.

"What?"

"Just… don't even go there. I know how hard you work at your prayer. Even on your days off, you're stil learning new things, studying, or helping me train," he shook his head at her, a bemused smile on his face. "I would never think that about you."

Zelda responded with nothing but a grateful smile, and it was all Link needed. They stared at each other a little - each seemed more curious about the other - when Zelda suddenly shook herself out of it, and stood up.

"We should head in before the sun sets," she suggested, though she looked a little sad to let a fun day end.

"Right," Link reluctantly agreed, standing up with a sigh and heading to the horses.

"We're heading to the Zora Kingdom tomorrow, right? I want to double check on Vah Ruta, and make sure Mipha is doing well," Zelda continued, then looked curiously at Link. Even at Mipha's name, the Knight wasn't giving anything away, so Zelda didn't say anything further, but it was clear that she was waiting to see a response from him. Even if he wanted to, he wasn't sure what he would say; Mipha still held a place in his heart, and he was excited to see her, but their training and adventures recently in preparation for Ganon had allowed Link to get to know Zelda better than he could ever dream. And she was… she _was_ a dream, but… possibly even more out of his league than a Zora princess.

"I haven't been to Zora's domain in a while," Link replied, and this seemed to put Zelda a little at ease, though he wasn't sure why she would care so much besides curiosity. The mere idea of her… liking him at all, let alone returning any feelings to him besides gratefulness and friendship, was benign to him. Maybe she wanted him and Mipha to be together after all. It would do wonders for the relationship between Hylians and Zoras, and Zelda was always into that stuff.

"Me neither," she responded as they rode back through the field towards the castle. "King Dorephan is always excited to see me, though. Last time I went, I got to meet Mipha's new little brother, Sidon - he is _so_ cute," she exclaimed, casting a smile to Link, who laughed.

"I feel like… all the babies in other races look cuter than ours," Link thought aloud, and Zelda gasped.

"Me too! Have you seen the Rito's little ones? And their downy feathers? I can't handle it," she laughed, and Link smiled, happy to chat so casually with her. It felt like an illusion though, which didn't last long; as soon as they reached the castle, the guards greeted Zelda with a salute, and Link with a piercing stare through their helmets. Recently he had been the talk of the town, some good and some bad, but there had been a lot of envy and bitterness directed at him from some of the senior knights who felt it was their duty to keep Zelda safe, and not some seventeen-year-old boy. Link couldn't blame them, in a way; but as long as he was just following orders, there was nothing more they could do than gossip among themselves. The only painful part was spending so much time alone now, when he wasn't with Zelda. Even Poppy, his fellow knight graduate, had been talking to him less and less. It wasn't grandeur, then, to be the Chosen One, but the tradeoff of exploring Hyrule further and spending time with Zelda made it worth it.

"Princess! Please be back before sunset. It's not very safe at night for you."

"Link is always with me when I'm out and about," Zelda replied casually as she hopped off her horse and walked it past the gates, with Link following behind, "so please, there's no need to worry."

"The appointed knight may not always be prepared to keep you safe. We're merely concerned for your wellbeing," one of the guards argued, and Link cast him a curious look. Julian. That Sheikah guard specifically had it out for him - or he had feelings for Zelda… or both. He was always dragging Link down.

"Link has proven himself more than capable to look after me," Zelda argued, and it seemed as though she wanted to continue, but stopped abruptly. "Nevermind. Please, Link, meet me early in the morning on the east side, and we'll make our way north," she addressed him, and Link nodded before she turned on her heel and headed upstairs, to the royal quarters.

"You might be her Appointed Knight, but I'm one of the only people here that actually _cares_ for her," Julian said in a hushed whisper as Link walked past him. "I don't care that you have that sword on your back. It doesn't make you more experienced than some of us, who graduated years ago. I should spit at your feet," he snapped then, and Link stopped, parallel to the taller man; a Sheikah from Kakariko village, he was very thin and able-bodied.

"Whatever makes you feel better," Link replied shortly, his piercing blue eyes flicking sideways to stare at the man's. He wanted to be able to recognize him better.

"Tch, attitude? At one of the royal guards? I'd expect better from the Hero," he smirked back at him, and Link wondered if what he was about to say would really be worth it.

"I'd expect the royal guards to not have their judgment clouded by feelings for the Princess," he replied, turning to face Julian now, staring him down despite about a foot difference in height. The guard didn't respond except for a brief flash in his eyes. Link had given him away, and the Sheikah had no response, so Link continued down the hallway to his own room, heart racing. Even if he had been right, he wasn't just talking about Julian. It applied to him now, too, and knowing this gave him no peace of mind. How could it be appropriate for her Appointed Knight to have feelings for her? He would sacrifice himself for her, no matter what; but if he let anything be known, the resulting gossip could be enough for the King to relieve him of his duty. So, it was decided: he couldn't tell her. He'd never be able to tell her.


	7. The Zora Champion

(( Thanks so much for the reviews, guys! 3 ))

Zora's domain was blissful, as always. Link and Zelda had left their horses near the entrance, not wanting them to slip on the bridges that had a tendency to be a bit wet from common rain, and walked carefully through the town. Zelda's eyes were wide, and she beamed while taking in the sights.

"It doesn't matter how often I come here… it's always so beautiful, and peaceful," she exclaimed with a happy sigh, and Link smiled in agreement. His stomach was upset with him today, since he couldn't help but feel nervous about seeing Mipha again, not to mention the nasty bruise he had on his arm from the day before that she would certainly worry over.

"Oh, hello, Muzu," Zelda said suddenly, and Link frowned a little. Muzu was Mipha's mentor, and he had a strong dislike towards Link, and… well, all Hylians, really. However, he always seemed to harbor some softer feelings for Zelda - something about her tended to relax him, and he often referred to her as "the okay one."

"Princess Zelda, welcome… and… _he's_ here…" Muzu growled in his deep voice, looking at Link with an obvious displeasure. Zelda gave him an apologetic smile.

"Link here has been chosen as my Appointed Knight," she explained. "He's done a fantastic job so far, and is getting to know the Master Sword more and more - right, Link?"

She looked at him a little pleadingly, raising her eyebrows. Link nearly choked on his words.

"Yes - that's right," he said, probably too quickly, nodding respectfully towards Muzu. "Is… Mipha around?"

"We're here to see Vah Ruta, to make some adjustments to make it easier on her," Zelda said quickly, as the Zora looked extremely upset to hear Link asking about the Zora Champion. He relaxed a little at hearing Zelda's words.

"Ah, well, if it's to help our lovely Mipha… absolutely. Perhaps the… _Hero…_ would rather wait outside the domain, and take care of our chuchu population?" Muzu suggested, sharp teeth pointing out from a sinister grin.

"I'm sure Link would love to do that after, but I really need him with me so he can get a better look at Vah Ruta, as well," Zelda countered, and Link stared at Muzu with as little expression as possible. The Zora were exceptional with spears; surely the chuchus were easy for them? Nonetheless, the stingray Zora let out a sigh, waving his webbed hand in a gesture for them to follow him.

"Very well… Mipha should be at Vah Ruta right now. I'll send for someone to take you there."

The trip to Vah Ruta by raft was uneventful, and when they arrived at the elephant beast sitting in the dam, Link could see the bright red of Mipha's skin shining in the sunlight at the top. She jumped, and waved at them from a distance, before the elephant moved closer to greet them.

"It's so good to see you, Mipha," Zelda said with a smile as they met.

"Oh Zelda, Link - it's so nice to see the two of you here. Link, congratulations on becoming the Princess' Appointed Knight," Mipha said in her soft voice, turning her attention quickly from Zelda to him. "The Hero chosen by the sword that seals the darkness… has quite a nice ring to it," she added enthusiastically, her small cherry-red lips smiling kindly at him. Link smiled back, feeling Zelda's green eyes resting on him, and trying not to start sweating from nervousness. It was already a bit awkward.

"Well, Mipha - I'm going to take a look at Vah Ruta, if you don't mind. Just checking something I've noticed in the other Divine Beasts, nothing of… major concern," she said shortly, looking suspiciously at the Zora as she didn't take her eyes off of Link.

"Link here has quite a bad bruise on his arm from our training yesterday. Maybe you could take a look at it," she sighed, casting a resentful look at Link and then disappearing in through the door of Vah Ruta. Link frowned watching her go - something was upsetting her.

Mipha gasped then, immediately pulling his sleeve up delicately with her sharp nails.

"Let's get a better view, okay?" she asked him, her voice quiet as ever, and Link nodded as he stared back into her bright hazel eyes. They didn't bring out butterflies like they used to, and her voice no longer sent shivers up his spine and a heat in his chest. There was something tragic about her now, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Perhaps it was because she was still enamored with him, and he felt guilt-ridden because of it.

The trunk of Vah Ruta lifted up as Mipha and Link sat on top. She sat close to him, holding her hand over his bruise, and it began to glow. Link watched it in amazement; her healing powers never ceased to impress him, but he had to remind himself constantly that she was a fierce warrior at the same time.

"I was thinking… this reminds me of the time we first met. You were just a reckless child, always getting yourself hurt at every turn."

Link laughed a little, remembering his first Knight's field trip to Zora's Domain. Now and again they travelled there to try and improve relations, killing monsters and cleaning up the town or joining spear training classes. Mipha had been the subject of a lot of talk - everyone knew she was beautiful, and her personality only amplified that.

"Every time, I would heal you… just as I'm doing right now," she continued, looking softly down at his wound and holding his arm up. "I thought it was funny how, being a Hylian, you looked grown up so much faster than I did."

Link looked at her now, and Mipha seemed sad, but he had no idea what to say or how to fix it.

"I was- I was always willing to heal your wounds… even back then," she said with a small smile, her red fins moving slightly in the wind. He could feel his arm starting to get better, and she pulled back then, allowing him to stretch and flex it. Completely back to normal.

"Thank you, Mipha," he said quietly, but found it hard to look at her.

"So if this Calamity Ganon does in fact return, what can we really do? We just don't seem to know much about what we'll be up against." She didn't sound as confident as the other Champions, and Link wished she would; he himself was worried, so hearing his fears validated was less than pleasing. "But know this - that no matter how difficult the battle might get, if you - if anyone ever tries to do you harm… then I will heal you."

She looked up at him now, and Link returned her gaze, finding it impossible to look away now. His chest felt hot.

"No matter when, or how bad the wound, I hope you know - that I will always protect you." Her eyes fell again, and Link could see that although genuine, it was hard for her to get the words across. It felt like a confession. He was shocked silent. Why now?

"Once this whole thing is over… maybe things can go back to how they used to be when we were young. You know… perhaps we could spend some time together."

A few weeks ago, he would have been kissing her. In the moment, the urge was there - just ever so slightly - but now there was a care in his heart reserved for Mipha that was different, more mature. He had never fallen completely in love with her, and in this very moment, any possible feelings of the like disappeared. He couldn't help feeling like he had grown, even just in the last couple weeks.

"I'd like that," he replied, though mostly in reference to the 'once this whole thing is over' part. Mipha smiled, and he was sure that if she wasn't a Zora, he'd be seeing a blush on her cheeks, but instead she simply stood up and turned to look at Vah Ruta. Zelda came out from the door on the Divine Beasts' face, and Link couldn't help but wonder if she had been eavesdropping.

"We're making progress, Mipha," she said with a smile, and the Zora clapped her fins together excitedly. "

"Thank you ever so much! I'm honored to be able to support you and Link in this endeavor," she said with a slight bow towards Zelda. The Princess rested her hands on her hips, smiling a little, but avoiding Link's eyes.

"We'd… better be on our way," Zelda finally said, and Mipha looked at Link with a frown, but he nodded. He couldn't argue Zelda's wishes, and knew she had a relatively busy schedule, as much as it seemed to disappoint Mipha.

"Well… next time you're here, Link, I have something to show you. Don't let me forget," she told him with a smile, and he nodded, embarrassed.

On their way back to the castle, Link and Zelda caught a rainstorm. They found shelter quickly, under a large tree, but it didn't seem to be going away anytime soon. Zelda sat on the roots, and Link joined her for a short while before taking the sword out and practicing some basic moves.

"Your path seems to mirror your father's," Zelda said suddenly, and Link glanced back at her without turning around. "You've always dedicated yourself to becoming a knight, as well. Your commitment to the training necessary to fulfill your goal is really quite admirable. I see now why you would be the Chosen One."

Her words meant more to Link than he could say, so he dropped his sword briefly, turning to look at her, but it was clear she had more on her mind.

"What if… one day… you realised you just weren't meant to be a fighter. Yet the only thing people ever said, was that you were born into a family of the royal guard, and so no matter what you thought, you had to become a knight?"

Link was staring at her. What was she getting at? She looked quite sad, averting her gaze from his as the rain continued pouring down.

"If that was the only thing you were ever told… I wonder then, would you have chosen a different path?"

He took a moment to think, but when he looked at her again, it was clear she wasn't necessarily talking about him. Sheathing his sword, he approached the tree, and sat on the roots next to her.

"Maybe I'd be a Zora Prince," he said bluntly, and she gasped, looking up at him in surprise.

"You _do_ like her!"

Link only laughed in response, giving Zelda a wry smile. "No. I used to. I'm just kidding. I knew it was bugging you."

Zelda took this new information eagerly, and he could see the gears turning behind her eyes, and then she laughed a little in response.

"You are… infuriating, sometimes," she sighed, folding her arms over her knees and looking out at the rain. Link looked out at the field with her, happy at least he'd found a way to give her an answer to her query - though not the heavier one she had asked. He had no answer to that, not yet; nothing besides that he was more than happy to dedicate his life to her.

"I think you can succeed at anything you put your mind to," he said after a few moments, as the rain began to quiet down, "you're incredibly motivated in everything you do. But there's obviously… some things that are chosen for us," he added, and knew that he could relate to her. It was a good question, really; if he had never bothered being a knight, would he still have gotten the master sword? Or would someone more capable have received it? If Zelda had not been born into the royal family, someone else would be burdened with finding a sealing power; but there was no use fretting over that.

"I know it's hard, Zelda. But if anyone was responsible for the toughest job - your job - I'm glad it's you. You give people hope."

She turned her head to look at him, resting it on her arms, but still looked concerned.

"But the people… they know I've yet to find my power."

"But they know you're trying," Link countered, meeting her eyes with a steady gaze. "That's all you can do."


	8. Father and Daughter

Days later, Link had been invited to walk with Zelda through the castle; to see the Guardians and the Sheikah that were working on controlling them. It was one of the first times he had gotten the opportunity to spend time with her within Hyrule Castle, so he jumped at it, and met her early in the morning near her chambers. Two guards were there, as usual - including Julian. But he remained silent now, and Link didn't feel any sort of resentful look coming from behind his helmet.

He didn't wait long before Zelda left through the doors, wearing a dress, one Link hadn't seen her in since the Knighting ceremony. It evoked a new emotion in him now than it did before; she was a fantastic explorer, but made a beautiful Princess, as well.

"Let's be off," Zelda said happily, grabbing Link's hand and heading up the stairs. He was taken aback at her suddenness, but went along anyways, as she toured him through the hallways.

"I guess… you've never seen much of this part of the castle, have you?" she said suddenly, finally letting go of his hand once they were past the boundaries of the Royal Quarters.

"No," he replied, voice shaking a little from the sensation of her hand in his. "It's… huge."

"Yes… a bit much," she laughed, shaking her head as they made their way towards one of the towers. "But it does allow me a good amount of space, including my own study. Despite Father's annoyance at my being such a scholar, he allowed me that much." Her voice fell a little, and Link wasn't sure whether to console her or not. As much as he was loyal to her, her father was his King, and anything other than complete obedience was blasphemy for a knight.

"No matter. I don't think we'll run into him. Oh- here we are-" she ran a few steps ahead of him, out into the sunlight shining down on an outdoor passage. Leaning over the edge, the two of them could see a Guardian down below, lit-up, and walking with its long spider-like legs between a few members of the Sheikah tribe.

"I think Robbie is down there… he's young, but our head Guardian researcher," Zelda said with a smile. Link nodded, recognizing the slightly eccentric hair of one of the Sheikah men. He had a personality to match, but had always gotten along well with Link, whenever the two of them ran into each other.

"Incredible… we're at a point now where we can actually control them. At the current rate, we'll soon know all we need to know about the Guardians and the Divine Beasts! And, should Ganon ever show itself again, we'll be more than positioned to defend ourselves," she added excitably, turning to look at Link. He nodded in response, but a new presence distracted him.

"What are you doing out here, Zelda?"

The two of them turned to look at the source - King Rhoam was walking towards them, two guards trailing behind him. Link immediately lowered himself to one knee, dipping his head in respect, and hoped he wasn't considered out of place for being somewhere so… confidential. At least he was with her. Zelda stepped a little in front of him, and he could see her arm drop to her side, but the girl made a fist in resolve as she explained herself.

"I was assessing the results of the experiments with the Guardians. These pieces of ancient technology could be quite useful against the-"

"I know that," the King interrupted her, sounding impatient. "They are essential to Hyrule's future, and our research demands that we keep a close eye on them. However, as the Princess, you currently have a crucial and unfulfilled responsibility to your kingdom."

Zelda let out a frustrated and saddened breath, that only Link could hear, but he could tell the lecture she was going through now was only one of many. He hated having to sit quietly and listen to her being scolded. It was likely embarrassing for her.

"Let me ask you once more - when will you stop treating this as some childish game?"

Link grimaced, keeping his eyes focused on the ground, though there was a fire in them that he knew he could not let the King see.

"I'm doing everything I can. I'll have you know, I just recently returned from the Spring of Courage where I offered every ounce of my prayers to the Goddess-"

"And now you are here, wasting your time!" the King snapped, "you need to be dedicating every _moment_ you have to your training. You must be single-minded in unlocking the power that will seal Calamity Ganon away!"

"I already am!" Zelda replied, but her voice was weak compared to the booming anger of her father's. "Don't you see, there's- there's nothing more I can do! My hope… my hope is that you will allow me to contribute here, in any way that I can, so-"

"No more excuses, Zelda! Stop running away from your duty. As the King, I forbid you to have anything to do with these machines from this moment on… and command you to focus on your training." Rhoam was clearly done; he had had enough of her speaking back to him, and turned away to look at the Guardian down below.

"Do you know how the gossip mongers refer to you? They are out there at this moment whispering amongst themselves… that you are the heir to a throne of nothing. Nothing but failure."

Link struggled to stay silent. He wanted to tell Rhoam for himself how hard his daughter was working, how much she cared for Hyrule, how dedicated she was; but he had no choice but to stay silent, embarrassed that he was present to listen to their dispute. King Rhoam, generally known to be a hearty and jovial man, was clearly dreadfully worried about Calamity Ganon returning, and as far as Link saw it, was taking it out on his daughter.

"It is woven into your destiny that you prove them wrong. Do you understand?"

He turned now, to look at her one last time, and Zelda dipped her head slowly.

"Yes. I understand."

Without another word, he turned and walked away, and Link remained motionless until he was sure the King was out of sight. When he looked up, Zelda had begun to walk away, back towards the Castle.

"Zel- Princess," Link stammered, quickly getting to his feet and following her. He couldn't be alone up here, not as just a Knight; the guards would take far too much pleasure in kicking him out.

"I'm sorry, Link, that you were there to hear that," she said, her voice cracking as she walked hurriedly through the halls. He could tell she was breaking down, and didn't want him to see, but when they came to an empty hallway he reached forward for her hand and held her back. She stopped, but kept her gaze on the ground, and didn't look back at him. He could feel her trembling.

"How can he be so blind? I'm - I'm working so hard, I'm constantly - _constantly_ trying to make sense of this world, and how to save the Kingdom from Calamity Ganon-" her voice broke on Ganon's name, and Link held her hand tighter. She turned, pushing her face into his chest and breaking down into sobs. Tentatively, he put his other hand on her shoulder, and dipped his face into her hair. His heart was breaking for her.

"I mean - I can travel to the Spring of Power, but I _know_ nothing will happen. Nothing ever happens! Hylia must look at me with disdain, though I pray to her day and night, for her to still hold this back from me. It's all I need to fulfill my purpose," she cried, squeezing his hand and beginning to soak through his shirt with tears.

"Goddesses. I'm sorry, Link," she said quickly, pulling back from him and looking up at him with incredibly sad green eyes. "It's no use crying. But it's so hard when… father speaks to me like that, and… usually I just suffer through it alone."

Link looked back at her, trying not to think about all the times Zelda had been alone, from six years old and onwards, after her mother had passed; alone and knowing that she had a duty to fulfill but not knowing how to do so, not having family or friends to console her, having to be strong - like he did. But even with the sword on his back, he knew now she had gone through worse.

"You don't have to apologise," he told her, his voice quiet. "That's what I'm here for."

"You say that, but that's not... this isn't part of your duties to me," Zelda argued, looking at him in a sad confusion. "Why? You should just leave, you don't need to comfort me. I'm fine on my own!"

"You wanted me to open up to you," Link replied, a little stung at her suggesting he should leave, "and I- I care too much about you than to leave you alone, right now."

Link was hoping he wouldn't regret those words. That it wouldn't be considered out of place, or unprofessional, or make things worse for Zelda. He looked at her steadily, knowing he couldn't take back what he'd said. He could do nothing but own up to it. It wasn't as far as a confession, at least, and he saw Zelda's expression soften.

"I can't help feeling like I don't deserve this sort of… dedication," she responded, sighing and looking at her feet. Link had already started shaking his head before she finished.

"That's not true," he argued, emotions playing with his heart strings. "Besides how - how I feel - you're important to everyone here," he stammered, and Zelda looked up quickly at his words, but Link changed the subject.

"I'll go with you, to the Spring of Power, and the Spring of Wisdom. We can leave for a couple days. For- your birthday," Link finished. He had spoken urgently at first, but slowed now, knowing the Princess was to turn seventeen in a couple days. Zelda's expression was hard to read; sadness, curiosity, a glimmer of hope behind her eyes, and finally she spoke.

"You... remembered my birthday?"

"I was there, last year," Link said resignedly, looking embarrassed, "as one of the knights in your salute. I remembered the date. It was the first time I had really… seen you."

"Ah," she realised quietly, the faintest smile growing on her lips, "my sixteenth. Alright. Will you come with me, to help prepare? Your shirt should dry out, anyways."

Link looked surprised. "Right now?"

"Yes," Zelda said, turning from him and heading down the hall, so Link followed. "I need to get out of here. There's no use pouting in my study. We may as well head straight out - if only just to show my father that I am trying."

He followed her all the way until the doors to her quarters, where two guards were positioned. As she walked past, their spears dropped into a large X, barring Link's entrance.

"I'll be here," he called after her, but when Zelda turned around and saw the spears dropped, she made an exasperated sound.

"Let him in, please," she said decidedly, and the guards reluctantly lifted their spears to let Link pass. The doors shut behind him. He would have been fine just waiting for her, and felt nervous and awkward entering her room, although there was nothing particularly special or embarrassing about it. She had some cut wildflowers in glass vases throughout the room, windows that looked out onto a wonderful view of Hyrule field, and a desk full of paper and journals that she quickly shut closed as soon as she entered.

"I'm just going to grab a couple changes of clothes," she muttered to herself, fishing through her drawers as Link stood at the window, admiring the view.

"Here," she said suddenly, and he turned to catch a tunic that she'd thrown at him. "I always have spare knight tunics here, as the laundry service mixes up their deliveries from time to time. You can change into something… drier that way," she added, embarrassed, and Link looked down to see the wet stain she'd left on his chest. Not really thinking about it, he pulled off his tunic immediately.

"Also, I was thinking - oh!" Zelda had turned to look at him, not expecting him to be shirtless, and ducked her eyes under her hand. Link looked at her in surprise until he realised what he'd done, and quickly pulled the other shirt on.

"Sorry!" he blurted out, hurriedly grabbing his belt and fastening it around the front. He had to stop feeling so comfortable around her - he was still on duty, after all.

"You just surprised me, is all," Zelda replied, her cheeks flush with colour. "I'm - going to change quickly, and then we'll head out. We should reach Akkala by nightfall," she calculated briefly, then disappeared into the next room. Link sat on the trunk at the edge of her bed, waiting patiently. When she finally came out in her explorer's gear, and her hair tied back, she had a new look on her face - she was ready.

"Let's go."


	9. The Spring of Power

(( If y'all know how the memories go... things are about to pick up! ))

Link and Zelda journeyed by horseback to the northern region of Akkala. Despite being so far north, it wasn't too cold in the summer months, and Zelda seemed to enjoy the ride there. It was a good escape from the castle, and her father, and Akkala's air was fresh with the sea breeze. Like she'd said, the sun had already set by the time they arrived at the spring. She had changed into her prayer dress, a beautiful white robe Link hadn't seen her wear yet, with golden jewelry that she said had been passed down from her mother.

Zelda had wandered out into the water in front of the statue of Hylia, while Link stayed on the stone structure behind, keeping watch of the entrance of the shrine. He held the Master Sword down, in its sheath, and leaned against it, listening to the waterfalls on either side of the shrine as Zelda spoke her prayer.

"I come seeking help," she began, and Link looked over his shoulder, finding himself lost in the sight of her wearing white in the water, her hair illuminated by moonlight.

"Regarding this power that has been handed down over time… prayer will awaken my power to seal Ganon away. Or… so I've been told all my life… and yet… Grandmother heard them, the voices from the spirit realm. Mother said her own power would develop within me… but I don't hear… or feel… anything."

She spoke softly, but Link could still make out her voice, and his eyes fell to the stone ground as he listened to her continue.

"Father has told me, time and time again - he always says, 'quit playing at being a scholar!' Curse you… I've spent every day of my life dedicated to praying!"

He heard the sound of her fists hitting the water, and looking at her now, she appeared defeated. She wrapped her arms around herself, dipping her head.

"I've pleaded to the spirits, tied to the ancient gods, and still the holy powers have proven deaf to my devotion. Please, just tell me… what is it? What's wrong with me?"

Finally Link turned, lifting the sword and swinging it around his back. He wanted to comfort her, but dared not to interrupt her praying. It wasn't long before she finally turned her back on the Goddess statue, and waded towards him; he held out her hand, helping to lift her out from the waters. She was shivering.

"You're freezing," he noted, resting a hand on her arm. "Let's make a fire."

She nodded, still silent, as Link set about gathering some dry firewood and piling it up on the stone floor. Striking flint against his sword, the spark was all it needed to light up, and soon they were much warmer. Despite this, Link took it upon himself to pull out one of Zelda's jackets from her bag, and drape it over her shoulders as she sat, staring at the flames.

"The Spring of Wisdom… is at Mt. Lanayru, right?" he asked quietly, and Zelda nodded, still not speaking. Link wondered if it was this difficult everytime _he_ was this quiet.

"I think, if you have luck anywhere, it'd be there," he thought aloud, but did not elicit any response from the Princess. "Whatever your dad says… you _are_ a scholar, at heart. You have an impressive knowledge of so much in Hyrule. I think that'll be your spring."

Zelda smiled a little bit now, looking up at Link, her eyes flickering in the firelight.

"Thank you. You're… really too kind, Link. I have to say, it means a lot being able to visit these places… alongside someone else," she paused, looking at him thoughtfully, "at first, I was upset at having what I saw as a chaperone being forced on me… but I'm happy now to call you my friend. My… best friend, probably," she added, and Link smiled but didn't meet her gaze over the fire as he added a couple more branches to the pile. Friend was great, best friend was better, but he had known for some time now that he had a deeper feeling in his heart for her. But maybe, that was just how it should be; there was no doubt in his mind that he would sacrifice everything for her. His loyalty belonged to her, and her alone. _I'm in trouble with this one,_ he realised, still staring at the flames.

"What's on your mind?" she asked suddenly, and Link jerked out of his daydream. "You do that a lot," she observed, "become lost in thought."

"I was thinking about how I'm in trouble," he admitted, and Zelda tilted her head, curious.

"Trouble? How? What did you do?"

Link could feel his heart tight against his chest, and his blue eyes landed on Zelda briefly. In the moonlight, with the fire and the spring behind them, and faraway from the castle, he was desperate to let those words leave his lips. But it would change too much. It would be too much stress on her, and he couldn't have her worrying about him or his childlike emotions. Though this feeling… was much different from his previous crushes. Those had been light, and airy, but now there was a heavy weight involved, heavier than the sword on his back.

"Nothing," he exhaled quickly, returning his gaze to the fire.

"I hope you don't feel like you have to hide anything from me," was her response, and Link was surprised to hear it. "I _am_ the Princess of Hyrule, but… with you, I'd rather try to be more open. It can be hard for me, since I never had that many close friends growing up," she sighed. "But you had plenty, didn't you? I think you could teach me a thing or two," she added quickly with a laugh, though it only made Link feel a little sorry for her.

"I lost a lot of those friends after the sword came," he said, and Zelda sat back a little, wrapping the jacket tighter around her. "You know how it is. Once you're… a _somebody_ … you're not just yourself anymore. Both of us have to be bigger than ourselves… does that make any sense?" he asked, shaking his head and smiling despite himself. Zelda nodded fast.

"Yes! It makes perfect sense. I've had that feeling all my life."

Link looked at her sympathetically, but she was smiling.

"I'm feeling better. I have hope for the Spring of Wisdom," she said, looking up towards the moon. Before long, they had both fallen asleep, curled on the rock around the fire. One on one side, and one on the other, though Link stayed up a little later just to watch her as long as he could while the fire died. Despite Zelda's hope, and his hope, that they would be okay… there was a lingering feeling of hopelessness sitting over Hyrule. Link tried not to think about how he could hear it in the King's voice, even behind Zelda's resolve, and from the Champions; they were _ready,_ but really just as ready as they could be, given the circumstances. Their work on the guardians, and the towers beneath the castle, seemed stalled. It was getting tougher and tougher to feel prepared for what was to come.

When Link woke in the morning, he went to scratch his cheek, and found his fingers trapped. Slowly coming to, he opened his eyes in surprise to see Zelda next to him. She must have moved overnight, but now she was on her side between him and where the charcoals from the fire were. Not pressed against him, but still close, her right hand holding his left, their fingers intertwined.

Link's heart jumped to his throat. The sun was rising, albeit slowly, and he wondered what would happen when she woke up. She was the one who did this, after all, not him. He lifted his gaze to look past her blonde hair at the statue of Hylia. _Why?_ It was hard enough suppressing his feelings for her when they were spending simple time together. But she had clearly taken the opportunity to become closer with him, and he wondered how close she wanted to be. Was this just what she did with a best friend? Was he just taking the place of Urbosa for the time being?

His thoughts were interrupted when her eyes slowly blinked open. She shivered in the early morning breeze, and then quickly her gaze jumped up to see his blue eyes looking steadily back down at her. Zelda took a quick breath, and Link could tell she was readying herself to apologize.

"Don't-" he said quickly, before she could speak. "You were cold?"

Her cheeks were bright red, and she nodded once, keeping her eyes steady on his chest. On the outside, Link was as calm as ever, but his heart was heavy and his mind was racing. Desperately, he wanted to tell her how he felt, and she wasn't making it easy on him now. A moment later she went to stand up, but didn't let go of his hand, so he followed suit.

"How do you stay so warm?" she asked suddenly, wrapping an arm around his waist and resting her face against his chest. Link's eyes darted to the sky. _Hylia, save me._

"Actually I'm just doing it for you," he replied before he could stop himself, but Zelda laughed, a little muffled through his shirt.

"What a gentleman you are, Link," she added, letting out a comfortable sigh. "I'm… afraid of what's to come," she said suddenly, voice tinged with sadness.

"I know," Link replied letting go of her hand to instead rub her back slowly. "It's going to be okay."

"Do you really think so?"

"Yeah," Link said carefully, brows furrowed a little in concern as he thought through his feelings, "But I don't think Calamity Ganon will be an easy battle."

"I'm so scared for you," she suddenly blurted out, her hand grabbing a fistfull of his shirt. "The legends portray him as a behemoth, a great evil dragon, and I'm confident in you, but if - anything happened -" she cut herself off, and fell strangely where she stood. Link carefully reached to her chin, lifting softly so she could see him.

"Whatever I do, I do for you," he said simply, letting himself get lost in her eyes. His head was fuzzy. He was speaking to reassure her, telling her what she needed to hear to put her mind at ease, but…it was more than that, now. It had been more than just his title for a while. "I promise, Zelda."

The princess stared back at him, but pulled herself away a moment later, slowly taking her gaze away from his.

"I am more grateful for your dedication than I could ever say," she said, and Link watched her curiously, seeing a conflict behind her eyes. "You truly inspire me to be better, Link."

Before Link could say anything, Zelda had turned, picking up her bag and leaving the spring. There was something stopping her from saying more. And Link had a million things he wanted to say, "thank-you" not being the least of it, but her mind was clearly busy. Any sort of confession, any sort of… pressure, from him, would only make things harder on her. He reminded himself again that he could say nothing, even if it was clear now that she had her suspicions. It would only make things harder.


	10. Ganon's Awakening

They rode quietly for most of the day. Zelda had been complaining about the ominous feeling she'd felt ever since leaving the castle, but it was clear she didn't want to go back. Link followed her as they meandered aimlessly across the fields and hills. Tomorrow they were to go to the Spring of Wisdom, but Zelda didn't seem to be in a rush; in fact, it was almost like she was putting it off. It was her last chance to be disappointed, and Link knew it would be horrible for her to go there and get nothing in return once more.

Still, he stayed quiet and followed, relieved at least that Zelda was making an effort now and again to cheer herself up.

"Thank you for the advice on horses," she said suddenly, and Link looked up from Flint's black mane. "I've taken more time to soothe this one, and we're getting along much better now," she added, and Link smiled weakly in response. Her earlier depression was still bugging him, but her attempts at being happier were still a relief. "I'm _trying_ to be more empathetic. Benefit of the doubt, you know?"

"I wasn't sure whether or not I wanted him to have _all_ the royal gear or not, but… he wears it like a true natural. I think it's perfect," she continued, looking at her horse in an accomplished manner.

"He looks good," Link admitted, glancing briefly at the Hylian crest displayed proudly on purple and golden details the horse was wearing. As they reached the top of a ridge, Zelda hopped off her horse, and Link followed.

"There's Mount Lanayru," she said quietly, somewhat to herself, but Link was close enough to hear her. "Lanayru's decree is very specific. It says, no one is allowed, under the age of seventeen… for only the wise are permitted a place upon the mountain." Link listened carefully, and wondered now how long Zelda had been waiting to go to the Spring of Wisdom. It seemed like her obvious first choice.

"I have no real reason to think that the Spring of Wisdom will awaken anything inside of me," she admitted, turning to face Link, "but there's always the chance that the next moment will change everything. Tomorrow… is my seventeenth birthday. So then we shall go… and make our way up the mountain."

Link looked at her steadily, unable to miss the look of sadness in her eyes. It was as if she knew it wouldn't work, that nothing would happen, but that she had no choice. It was downright depressing, really, but all he could do was follow her to the world's end and hope that her birthday could be a good one.

The sun was setting by the time they reached the base of Mt. Lanayru. The other Champions knew what she was attempting, and had sent word via a Rito friend that they would be meeting her in the morning at the West Gate, when she was ready to come down. Link set a fire for the two of them near there, and they camped overnight, though Zelda was quieter than the night before. He wanted her to be close to him, again, but something was holding her back, so he didn't push it.

In the morning, Zelda awoke to the smell of eggs and meat, cooking on the fire. She stared at it in surprise for a moment until Link arrived, absently pulling branches and leaves out of his hair.

"Oh, you're awake?" he asked, smiling and sitting while offering her a bowl and fork.

"Where did you get these?" she asked in surprise.

"I usually carry some plateware with my horse… my mother taught me a lot of cooking skills when I was younger, but it's been a while since I tried anything out in the wild," he said, carefully taking his own eggs and bird meat off of the metal bowl resting above the campfire.

"Happy birthday," he said finally, lifting his bowl in a sort of 'cheers' to her, and Zelda smiled, tapping her bowl against his. "I hope it's alright."

"Thank you," she said, unable to keep the smile off her face. "This is really nice - and completely unexpected. What other talents are you hiding from me?" she asked, before taking a bite. Link was happy to see that she had cheered up somewhat from the previous day.

 _I'm a good kisser,_ he thought briefly, but said nothing instead and ate some more so he wouldn't have to answer her.

"Let me guess - climbing?" she wondered, looking at him knowingly and then reaching over to pull a loose leaf out of his scruffy hair. "Birds don't tend to make their nests too low to the ground."

"That's true," Link said through a mouthful of food, nodding to himself. "I can climb fast."

"A skill that comes in handy, I'm sure," Zelda replied, then put her bowl down. "I'm sorry I was… down, yesterday. It's been a struggle just getting a hold of my feelings lately…" she trailed off, and Link watched her. _Same._

"I am optimistic about today. I hope that I return successful, for the sake of the other Champions and… my father, as well," she added, looking up to the sky. "I feel awful that the last time I saw him ended in argument."

"It's the same with my father and I," Link replied, trying to make her feel better. Zelda looked at him in surprise.

"I thought - you and your dad always seemed so close?"

"We are," Link replied, "but he was worried about me getting the Master Sword."

"And understandably so!" Zelda exclaimed. "Don't get me started on how I worry for you," she added with a sigh, and Link looked at her gratefully before scooping out the last of his food and taking Zelda's bowl from her. He stood, packing them away in the bags on the side of Flint, and patted the horse appreciatively.

"I'm ready when you are, Zelda," Link said, "Lanayru is steep, so we'll have to leave the horses here. It'll take most of the day to get up and come back down," he noted, taking another look at the mountain looming over them.

"Alright," she agreed, standing up and brushing dirt off her clothes. "I'm ready."

The trip up Lanayru was long, but not as treacherous as Link had first assumed. With the two of them helping each other out from time to time, they got up at a good speed, and the physical strain was keeping them warm on the chilly mountaintop. The Spring of Wisdom was nestled next to the peak, a statue of Hylia waiting patiently for them as they arrived. Zelda changed into her prayer clothes, and shivering, walked out into the water.

"Oh!" she said in surprise, and Link looked to her quickly. "The water… is quite warm," she said with a smile. "It must be a spring."

Then, the girl pressed forward to the statue, arms clasped together, and stayed silent. Link watched from the stone platform, his shoulders dropping as he realised that nothing was happening. She stood in the water for nearly half an hour, and finally, slowly, her arms dropped to her sides.

"Nothing," she whispered, and she turned her back on the statue, returning to Link. He didn't know what to say, but she said nothing further either.

"Zelda, you should change back-"

"It's fine," she replied quickly, "I'm warm from the spring. We'll get down faster, anyways," she sighed, and he worried, but followed her nonetheless.

The sun was setting by the time they got down. From a distance, Link could see the four Champions waiting in the light of the gate, each one casting a long shadow; it was the first time he'd seen them together since the ceremony. Zelda paused on the hillside as she saw them, clasping her hand into a fist.

"It's okay," Link reminded her, resting a hand briefly on her shoulder. She jolted at the touch, but then took a deep breath and continued moving down the path towards them. Their horses had gone, clearly taking interest in other things than waiting around the mountain all day, but Link was a little disappointed not to see Flint waiting for him. In fact, since they'd come down the mountain, he hadn't seen any animals at all; nor bugs. It was a bit unnerving.

"Well? Don't keep us in suspense. How'd everything go up there, on the mountain?" Daruk asked, but Link could already see that the Goron was worried based on Zelda's downtrodden expression. Zelda merely paused in her footsteps, and shook her head.

Revali stepped forwards, evident in his concern. "So… you didn't feel anything? No power at all?"

"I'm sorry, no," she replied quietly, and a moment of silence followed, until Urbosa spoke.

"Then let's move on," she said, and she spoke as though it was already decided, "You've done all you could. Feeling sorry for yourself won't be any help. After all, it's not like your last shot was up there on Mt. Lanayru. Anything could finally spark the power to seal Ganon away. We just need to keep looking for that… thing."

Daruk nodded in agreement, though his expression gave him away as being worried. Zelda's head was dipped, and Link looked at her from a couple steps behind, feeling his heart beginning to ache against his chest.

"That's kind of you, thank you," Zelda replied quietly, and then it was Mipha who took a few nervous steps forward.

"If I may," she said softly, and Zelda looked up at her, somewhat surprised. "I thought you… well, I'm not sure how to put this into words," the Zora sorted through her thoughts as she stopped, closer to Zelda. "I'm actually quite embarrassed to say it… but I was thinking about what I do when I'm healing."

The sun haloed Mipha's figure as the Zora looked up at Zelda, genuine love in her eyes.

"You know, what usually goes through my mind… it helps when I think- when I think about-"

A massive crash interrupted what she was about to say. It shook the ground beneath their feet, and Mipha staggered forwards, Zelda backwards, into Link's arms as he steadied her. The Champions looked around in concern, and not a moment later, Revali had flung himself up into the air.

Link felt his stomach sink as Revali paused in the air, looking towards Hyrule Castle. He could hear lightning, and more rumbling; even without seeing what the Rito could see, it was obvious what had happened. A dreadful roar reverberated through the air, and it filled Link's chest with dread.

"It's here," Urbosa said solemnly as Revali landed back next to them.

"It's awake," Zelda said helplessly, "Ganon."

Dark clouds of black and red were filling the air. Zelda took a couple step backwards, clearly unsure in her resolve, and Link was thankful when Daruk finally spoke.

"Let's stop wasting time! We're gonna need everything we got to take that thing down. Now, Champions! To your Divine Beasts! Show that swirling swine who's boss! Link will need to meet Ganon head on when we attack. This needs to be a unified assault. Little guy!" Daruk turned then to face Link, "You need to get to Hyrule Castle. You can count on us for support, but it's up to you to pound Ganon into oblivion!"

Link attempted to hide his nerves. Urbosa had walked forwards then, hands on Zelda's shoulders.

"Come - we need to get you someplace safe."

"No!" Zelda protested, moving forward to turn to Urbosa and the others. "I'm not a child anymore. I may not be much use on the battlefield… but there must- there must be something I can do to help!"

The Champions looked unsure at her words, but knew there was no fighting with her, let alone the time to argue.

"I'll keep her safe," Link spoke then, staring steadily at Zelda.

Revali snorted. "Are you sure? You're going to destroy Ganon _and_ keep her out of harms way? I don't think-"

"Shut up, Revali," Urbosa snapped, already beginning to run. "and do your job!"

The Rito looked incredibly offended for barely a moment, gave Link one last piercing glare, and then lifted into the sky. Mipha left as well then, casting Link a look over her shoulder, a smile he could barely make out; and Daruk rolled away, leaving the Hylians standing, alone, to face the chaos.


	11. Zelda's Awakening

((reminder that this isn't the end! chapters will continue tomorrow))

As fast as they could manage, Link and Zelda ran back towards the castle, hands clasped tightly together. Rain had begun falling from the dark clouds amassing above, though Link could tell it was no ordinary storm. When they finally had Hyrule Castle in their sights, both of them came to an abrupt stop. Towers had risen around the castle, glowing red but clearly of Sheikah technology; guardians were pouring out, hundreds of them, bodies red as they fired shot after shot throughout castle town.

Zelda's breath caught in her throat. "No... the Guardians, they're attacking Castle Town!" she began to run forward, but Link caught her hand, pulling her back. For once, his unflinching courage was at a standstill. If it was him alone, he would have ran forward no question, but he was tasked with keeping her safe, and at the moment, that took priority over Calamity Ganon.

"We can't- Zelda- we can't-" Link stammered as she fought against his grip.

"No! You have to fight Calamity Ganon," she protested, "you- can't run away from this!"

Link was shocked at her words, but held onto her wrist tighter. She was echoing her father.

"I'm not running away from anything," he argued, "I'm protecting you!"

"The Champions - they're getting ready - look, there's Medoh!"

Of course, Revali had gotten back to his tower first, and the great bird had stood up straight atop Rito's pillar. But even from the distance, Link could see it was no longer glowing blue; it was a deep crimson red, and Link's heart sank. Zelda seemed to realise what had happened the same time.

"No," she whispered, and the beam that left Medoh's beak, not a righteous blue but a searing blood red, slammed into the base of Castle Town and pushed along the earth for a moment before dissipating. A moment later, explosions erupted in its path, giant blooms of bright red and orange, one after the other, throwing entire houses into the air. Link quickly pulled Zelda to him, turning her away from the sight of her kingdom in ruins. He couldn't make sense of his feelings. He felt like he was watching something far away and untrue, but that was home- and everyone in Castle town - how could anyone have survived that? He tried not to think of his parents, and focused on Zelda instead, who was clutching his arms.

"The others- Urbosa, Mipha, Daruk-" Zelda cried, and Link looked towards the other beasts and saw them perched at their respective locations. They had been piloted, but now… it was not the Champions controlling them.

"They- were the only ones to get the terminals activated, they _have_ to be in those beasts," Zelda realised, and a moment later she fell forwards, eyes wide, hand shooting to her heart in a fist.

"Zelda?" Link asked in a panic, holding her shoulders up. Her eyes were wide, and terrified. "They- I can feel it, they-" her voice broke, but Link knew there was no time to wait.

"We need to go. We need to go to Kakariko, and see Impa," Link said urgently, fighting back his own tears for Zelda's sake, "it should be safer there. We can try and regroup. We'll go through the swamp, by the river."

He knew it was nearly fruitless. To get to Kakariko they would have to pass the castle, and get through the dueling peaks, all without their horses and without falling victim to any of the guardians or Ganon itself. But there was no choice. All he could do was run with her, and get her somewhere safe, and then… go to face Ganon on his own.

She hadn't said anything, but followed him nonetheless, and they began running down through Hyrule field towards the swamp. Here and there, they had to creep due to guardians already spreading themselves throughout the land - it was easier in the rain, at least, so Link was grateful for that. His sword unsheated, it was muddy in all the rain, and both Link and Zelda were already a mess; he'd let a few tears out, but none that she could see, as they ran. He was ahead of her, holding onto her hand as tight as he could and urging her to go faster as they attempted to bypass the castle and get to Kakariko. A guardian, close to the forest, had spotted them. Link wondered briefly how powerful it was, urged Zelda to stay behind a tree, and faced it down.

It crawled towards him, lifting itself up on its legs and staring down at him with one eye. A moment later, the beam started, a target appearing on Link's chest. As it flashed, he jumped out of the way, and heard Zelda yell; it had knocked down a tree nearby and started a fire, raging despite the rain. _Alright, don't get hit by the beam,_ Link realised, wishing desperately he'd had his shield with him. But there had been no way of knowing what was to come.

"Let's go!" he yelled, running past Zelda and grabbing her hand as he did so. The guardian tried to follow, but the rain hid their footsteps and the tree stopped the guardian from moving quickly enough to spot them.

Once they were further away, and it was quieter, Link was still urging Zelda on. She was wearing her prayer clothes, and the beautiful white dress had become muddied and wrinkled, so Link understood it was harder for her to keep up. Suddenly, her hand slipped from his and she fell to the forest floor; Link stopped immediately, barely keeping himself from falling over.

"Zel-"

She was staring at the forest floor, tears flowing freely, and as Link listened to her voice, the rain came into focus. He approached her, sheathing the master sword, and knelt down in front of her.

"How… how did it come to this?" she asked weakly. "The Divine Beasts… the Guardians… they've all turned against us. It was… Calamity Ganon… it turned them all against us!"

Her fists clenched tighter against the dirt floor, and Link could do nothing but look at her, helpless.

"And everyone, Mipha, Urbosa, Revali, Daruk… they're all trapped inside those things," she said sadly, looking up at Link, but he could tell what she felt earlier was more than just that they had been trapped. They were gone.

"It's all my fault! Our only hope for defeating Ganon is lost, all because I couldn't harness this cursed power! Everything I've done up until now… it was all for nothing…"

Link wanted to argue, but he knew it wouldn't be any use. He felt as at fault as she did.

"So I really am just a failure!" she sobbed, staring at him desperately. "All my friends… the entire kingdom… my father worst of all… I tried, and I failed them all. I left them… all to die," she whispered, and a moment later the tears overcame her and she fell into his arms. He held her as tight as he could, rubbing her back as the rain seemed to let off a little bit. He wanted to tell her everything would be okay, that they could still fix it, but lives had been taken. There was no more fixing this. Just vengeance.

"It's not your fault," Link replied slowly, even though he knew Zelda would want to argue him on it. "We couldn't have known when Ganon would strike. We couldn't have gotten back to the castle. And we couldn't have been prepared for him taking over the Guardians and the Beasts," he said, and Zelda quieted a bit, but seemed stubborn in her sadness. He understood.

"Let's go," he said, standing up and lifting her to her feet.

It was night by the time they reached the Dueling Peaks. Guardians had been on their tail the entire time, and while they hoped to have better luck past the mountains, the two Hylians were shocked to see the valley and the swamp completely full of them.

"How-" Zelda said breathlessly, and Link merely grabbed her hand and pushed forward.

"We have no choice. I'll protect you. It's going to be okay."

Barely a step into the swamp, and one of the guardians had spotted them. Link let go of Zelda's hand, and rushed forward, sword drawn; it glowed a brilliant blue through the rain, and he brought it down upon the beast's front leg. Metal and rock screeched together as it fell, tilted, and Link ducked beneath it to take out another. Still it would not desist, and aimed a target at Link that he couldn't seem to escape; the knight ducked out of the way, and heat seared at his cheek as he did so, the shot narrowly missing. The guardian only began to take aim once more.

"Link! Stop!" Zelda cried, but there was no stopping now that he had engaged with the creature. The next blast missed, and to Link's relief, flew past him and hit another guardian instead. But without warning, he was hit from behind, and almost immediately after, another's beam struck him in the chest, and he flew back from the impact, his body slamming into the now-stationary guardian he was attacking. Breath left his lungs quicker than he could recover it. His brain fuzzed. He felt like he had holes in his body.

"Link!" Zelda cried again, and her voice prompted him to try and focus, vaguely aware of the two red targets on his body. He turned, letting out a gasp at the horrifying pain in the guardians had inflicted on him, nearly slipping on his own blood. Perched on the body of the first guardian, he waited for just a moment - and then fell as the second Guardian took out the first with its beam, which went flying over Link's head. Thank Hylia they didn't seem to understand when they were attacking themselves. Chunks of rock and metal burst through the air as the Guardians destroyed each other, scraping Link's face and arms and legs, but he had no time to think about his injuries. He knelt on the dirt, one arm propped on the Master Sword, and breathed heavily despite the pain and blood he could feel seeping down his back. Each breath was more painful than the last, causing blood to fall from his wounds into the dirt. He knew, immediately, that he didn't have long; but he had no choice but to stay standing. As long as he could, as long as she wasn't safe, he had to stay on his feet.

"Link, save yourself, go! I'll be fine- don't worry about me!"

It was a lie, and they both knew it. She wouldn't be fine, and he could never abandon her. Link staggered to his feet, falling backwards a bit with Zelda behind him. A third Guardian had noticed them, and it crawled over the bodies of others that had fallen, looming over top of them. Link faced it down, standing in front of Zelda, knowing his body would at least act as a shield.

"It's going to fire, and it'll hit me, and then you run," he explained, casting her the briefest glance over his shoulder as the Guardian began to target him. He savoured looking at her, and tried to tell her, with his eyes, what he'd felt for so long. He had no time to tell her now. It was no use.

The target began, and Link turned to face the Guardian which would surely kill him, letting his eyes fall shut. He had no energy left to take it down.

"No!" Zelda cried, and she pushed her way in front of him; Link's eyes shot open.

" _Zelda!_ " he yelled, but his scream trailed into silence as a high-pitched ringing filled the field. The Guardian never released its beam; instead, the Princess was glowing with a heavenly golden light, and Link's eyes fell upon three triangles lit upon her hand. The light grew, and soon enveloped the entire canyon, flowing over all of the Guardians. One by one, Link could hear them falling, and the one directly in front of them shook before toppling over itself. Malice dissipated from its body like a smoke, and they were safe. Link let out a last relieved breath before allowing himself to collapse onto the ground, still gripping the sword.

"No - no! Link, get up!" Zelda exclaimed, having run back to him. She propped his head upwards, and he let out a painful cough. He could feel the chill of the rain now seeping through him, cold in his wounds, which he knew now he wouldn't survive.

"You're going to be just fine," Zelda assured him, and his heart broke in his last moment knowing she was wrong. He spent the last of his energy opening his eyes to look at hers; so green. She was adventure, wilderness, everything, and he had failed her. He failed.

"I love you," he whispered, all his body would allow of him, and soaked in the sight of her as long as he could before slipping out of consciousness.

Link didn't hear her heart-wrenching cries for him to get back up, didn't feel the way in which she held him desperately, her head pressed into his chest. He didn't hear her say " _Please, I love you, Link- please…"_ as she sat, alone in her final success, as his body began to go cold. He didn't hear Fi, in his sword, speaking out that there was still hope. Link died that day with a heartache, one that would not leave him for a century still to come.


	12. Zelda Alone

Zelda was given no time to mourn or respond to Link's words. As Link's body went limp, she knew it was the end, and felt the familiar _pang_ in her heart she had felt when realising the other Champions were not just trapped - they were killed. Her tears flowed freely onto his bloodied chest. Her power had been awakened, finally, but at what price? It took her so long to realise that she loved him. He had put up with so much, and still, the way he looked at her with his striking blue eyes would haunt her forever. She should have known earlier when the knight began to develop feelings for her. She hadn't wanted to come to terms with her own feelings; they seemed like a weakness, and she worried too much for him, so much it scared her. Zelda felt as if her own heart would claw out of her chest; it was shattering with the rain, and she sobbed heavily against Link's body. She finally succeeded, her power awakened by her love for him - but had failed him, after all.

A sound, strangely familiar, distracted her, and she looked up suddenly to see the sword glowing. It spoke to her, in a calm and yet urgent voice, but the words traveled purely within her mind and not the air between them.

"Hylia… the Shrine. He can live."

The sword knew more than she did. But the words were enough to dry her tears.

"So, he can... he can still be saved?" she breathed to herself, but new voices took her attention away from the Master Sword.

"Princess! Are you alright?

It was one of the Royal guards, and Purah; they had abandoned their castle gear for the streamlined Sheikah clothing, and streaked through the wet grass, stopping abruptly before her and kneeling.

"Thank Hylia you're here, Purah. Both of you, take Link to the shrine of resurrection," she commanded urgently, "if you don't get him there immediately, we are going to lose him forever. Is that clear? Take this-"

Purah took the Sheikah Slate from Zelda's outstretched hands. They would need it for Link. The guard nodded and Purah each nodded once. Zelda had to trust them. Delicately, she lifted the Master Sword out of Link's hands, pushing it to the side.

"So make haste, and go! His life is now in your hands," she ordered, and watched hopelessly as Link was lifted out of her arms, strung over the back of one of the guards. She watched them for as long as she could, eyes trained on Link, as they disappeared.

Picking up the Master Sword, she knew she had to leave it someplace safe. It would be a treacherous journey to the Great Deku Tree, but it was doubtful that the Guardians would have pierced the woods, so she knew she would be safe once she got there. Slipping the sheath and sword over her back, she took one last look at the field of destroyed guardians before setting on her way. After leaving the sword, there would be only one thing to do - go to Ganon, herself.

Zelda was small, thankfully, and had no trouble creeping her way towards the Lost Woods. Although she lit a torch in the Lost Woods to help her find her way, she found that it was devoid of fog; or at least, it left a path for her to follow, and she assumed the Great Deku Tree knew she was coming.

She stopped in front of the great tree, still blooming amidst the despair and chaos around them, and put the sword down carefully atop its slumbering home.

"Your master will come for you," she said, "until then, you shall rest safely here. Although the Slumber of Restoration will most certainly deprive him of his memories… please trust me when I say, I know he will arrive before you yet again."

Zelda kept her hands clasped together, eyes closed. She didn't want to think about Link losing all of his memories. She had no clue how long the Restoration would take. Would she still be here, when he awoke? Would he wake- and with her gone- never remember?

"If I may be so bold…"

The booming voice of the Deku tree snapped her out of her worries, and Zelda looked up to etched in face of the trunk in front of her. Aged and wise, she had nothing but reverence for it.

"What is it that you are planning to do next, Princess?"

"The Master Sword… I heard it speak to me. It seems that my role is unfinished. There is still something I must do," she replied, hoping it would come of a relief to the old spirit. She felt more worthy now, more comfortable in herself, to be standing where Link once stood to claim his sword.

"I sense there is great strength in your dedication," the tree replied, and Zelda believed it. She thought to herself for a moment and then looked back up, one hand clutched to her heart.

"Great Deku Tree, I ask of you… when he returns, could you please relay this message - tell him I -"

"Now then," the tree interrupted her, still speaking slowly but firmly, "words intended for him would sound much better in the tones of your voice, don't you think?"

Zelda paused, but took this as a sign that she was to be successful in meeting Link once again… even if he was possibly different from before, or did not remember her. She smiled, lifting her hands together and nodding once back.

"Yes."

The sword, then, was next. She picked it up, holding it carefully above it's sleeping grounds in the stone, and slowly placed it downwards. After a moment, it bound with the slit in the ground, shining a bright blue, so Zelda knew she had been successful. Only Link would be able to pull it out again, and he would need all his strength to do so.

She bid farewell to the Great Deku Tree, and then left for Hyrule Castle, grateful for the swords assistance. Hyrule felt empty, and cold, and she was shocked to see that so many towns seemed to have been wiped off the map. Desperately, she wanted to go to the Shrine of Resurrection, buried in the mountain, and sleep alongside Link for as long as it took, but it was a childish wish. The Shrine was built for one individual only, and if she did not complete her role, chaos would unleash on Hyrule… even Link would not be safe.

As she stepped onto Hyrule Field, the Princess of Hyrule thought of nothing but her love for the kingdom, her father, her friends, and… Link. Her heart nearly burst when she thought of him. Empathy, then, was indeed what she had needed to succeed; guardians fell as they approached her, bokoblins stopped and incinerated in her path. But it was more than empathy now, the girl was angered too, that someone had dared to attack her people and her love; that Ganon had dared to take Link away from her. Or try his hardest, at least. Her golden light caused shrieks to erupt from the castle as she came closer and closer, unharmed, wind lifting her hair and whipping outwards. She stood at the bridge, and lifted her hand, as if in greeting. She knew that he would come.

And it didn't take long. The beast, Calamity Ganon, so lost in form and chaotic, spiraled out from the inner workings of the castle. Zelda had to work to concentrate, to not look at the ruins of the town, to not see whether her study was even still intact; there were more important things now. She would have plenty of time for processing… as Link was revived.

The beast, resembling a bull just somewhat, unhinged its jaw to let out an otherworldly roar. It shot itself down to Zelda, who must have looked tiny and lit-up like bait on the bridge, but Ganon was greeted with divine light even it could not swallow. Ganon shrieked again, revolting on itself, trying desperately to get away from the light, as Zelda's hand glowed with the power of the Triforce. As the Champions had no doubt been trapped within their blights, so too would be trapped within Hyrule castle, but she knew she would be protected. She knew she would be safe.

In a split second, the light and hope of Hyrule disappeared, and Ganon's power was sucked back across the fields and hills of Hyrule faster than the winds could ever hope to travel. The malice and calamity that had begun to penetrate the land soaked back, and the Princess found, in her stasis state, that she was able to hold him back to the confines of the upper sanctum.

It could take a century and more for Link to arrive. But as she allowed herself to slip away into a concentrated sleep, she knew he would return. _Link._


	13. Link Alone

(( WOO long chapter, here we go guys, this is the beginning of the long stretch, but I will be doing my best to keep it entertaining! To respond to your comment, friendly Guest, I will be writing the entire adventure, true to the story but with added fun and adventure, of course! It will continue past when he first meets Zelda, so don't worry, there will be more and heavier zelink past Ganon's defeat. These chapters with Link alone will be much how the game goes; a bit slow at first, as he gets his bearings, and then picking up in speed gradually to keep things interesting and well-paced. I found that after my first and second divine beast, I was suddenly much more adept at exploring quickly, and Link will be in much more of a hurry than I was hunting down all 120 shrines... please be assured that I will not be writing out the shrines, or even the Beasts and their puzzles, in much detail except where necessary. These chapters will focus more on Link's development, his slow memory recollection, the beasts, and him meeting other characters like Paya and Impa, Riju, Kass, the Zoras, Purah and Robbie, and etc. ))

He was dreaming. A divine golden light, glittering but out of reach, sat in his mind. And a voice, so familiar but completely strange, piercing through the deep, heavy silence.

"Open your eyes."

The voice repeated a couple times. He slowly lifted his eyelids.

"Wake up, Link."

 _Link. That's me._

He knew that much. He knew he was Link. But he didn't know who _Link_ was. He felt confusion, curiosity, and a dreadful sadness that tugged at his chest, but nothing to attach to the emotions, no memories, nothing.

The water that was surrounding him came to his attention at the same time it began to drain away. Some sort of mechanism was above him, glowing a soft blue that made him want to fall back asleep. He was warm and comfortable, but as the water drained, a chill filled his body. _Fine._

He sat up then, surprised to see he had been sleeping on a stone slate… in a cave… on some sort of water bed. And he was naked, aside from his briefs. Looking down, he gasped a little to see violent scars streaking across his chest; some mirrored on his arms, but no pain came from them. Slowly, he stood up in the room, feeling… very lost. Something caught his eye, however - a lone pedestal, standing near the door. It was glowing as well, and had something sitting atop it.

He walked closer to look, and the contraption began to move, presenting a glowing stone rectangle to him. Link stared. _What?_

"That is a Sheikah Slate," the strange but unfamiliar voice said - the one that had waken him up. It sounded less mysterious, and somewhat more cheerful now. "Take it. It will help guide you after your long slumber."

So he had been asleep? For a long time? _How long_? He tried not to let his mind get the better of him, and picked up the rectangle. He was sure he had never seen it before, but couldn't help finding something familiar about it as he held it sideways; there was something comforting in its weight. The door at the end of the room rumbled, and then lifted open in several pieces. Link stared at it warily, but resigned to it; there was no where else go to.

Chests and boxes lined the next room, still dark, but light enough that he could see. When he opened the first chest, he was relieved to find a pair of pants. They seemed like they'd been worn already, but he didn't mind, pulling them over his cool legs. Just his ankles were bare; the shoes fit, but the pants were a tiny bit too short. He hung the awkward stone tablet on the side of his thigh, using the belt. His eyes darted to the next chest.

"Then…" he muttered, and paused at the sound of his own voice, "Oh. This is what I sound like," he spoke, his calm tones echoing off the walls. "Hello!" he laughed, listening for a moment as the sound bounced from wall to wall. He pulled a shirt out of the chest, happy to let it fall over his shoulders and bare skin. A shiver fell through his body as he warmed up. Much better.

"Hold the Sheikah Slate up to the pedestal," the voice had returned. "That will show you the way."

Link jolted a bit at the sound - it was a woman, that's all he knew - but followed her instructions, holding the stone up to the other stone. It shone blue in response.

"Authenticating," it said, in a language Link was sure he didn't recognize, but understood nonetheless. "Sheikah Slate authorized."

He shouldn't have been so surprised when the next door opened, but in a way he couldn't help it. Light filled the room quite suddenly then, and even as Link stood by the pedestal, he had to squint - it was _so_ bright - but the only way out was to go towards it.

"Link, you are the light - our light - that _must_ shine upon Hyrule again," the voice spoke, and Link was beginning to wonder where it was coming from. It seemed to echo, but it must have been just in his head. "Now, go…"

No further instructions? _Alright._ Link headed up through the tunnel, scrambling over a rock - climbing came naturally to him - and found himself on a ridge. He jogged towards the end of it, drawn like a magnet, and let his mouth drop open at the view. There were so many landmarks, but he couldn't make sense of them; he took a moment to sort through what he knew and what he didn't.

Grass under his feet. Check. Sun above his head, check. A blue sky. A smoke plume. A fire. He knew what those were. An- old man- down the hill. He hadn't seen any humans when he looked down before. The figure was looking at him, and then turned away, walking with purpose back towards his fire. Link had a sinking feeling that he needed to speak with him.

He turned, then feeling suddenly very naked, and picked up a tree branch in case the old man was to attack him. There were mushrooms nearby too, so he grabbed one of those, without a thought for what he'd actually wanted it for. Although he knew the material world, there were still things he had clearly forgotten, though at the moment it didn't feel like he'd ever known it in the first place. In the distance, but not too far away, he could see a temple of sorts, sitting in ruins; he felt drawn to it immediately.

As Link approached the man, he could smell something delicious; an apple, baked in the grass. Without even a second thought, he picked it up, realising just how hungry he was.

"Excuse me - I do believe that is _my_ baked apple," the man spoke suddenly, though his expression was hard to decipher under his hood. "You cannot just go about taking whatever you please!"

Link was holding the fruit in his hand, mouth open, about to take a bite. He stared back at the man. He wanted to growl at him.

"Oho! You must forgive me. I could not resist pulling your leg."

Before he'd even finished his sentence, Link considered himself forgiven, and ate the food ravenously as if it was the first thing he'd had in a century.

"Please help yourself. An apple and an open flame make a succulent treat," the man added, and Link swallowed, staring at him. He had questions, but was unsure that this random man would be able to answer any of them.

"It is a bit strange to see another soul in these parts," he mused then, staring at Link with a twinkle in his eye.

"Who are you?" Link blurted out, still standing awkwardly next to the fire. It was so nice and warm.

"Me? I'll spare you my life story," the man replied, and Link was visibly disappointed. "I'm just an old fool, who has lived here alone, for quite some time now."

 _Oh._ His story couldn't have been interesting then, anyway; there was just something about the hood that made Link think 'mystery.'

"What brings a bright-eyed young man like you to a place like this?"

 _Fuck if I know,_ Link thought, and blinked at himself. Swear words. Right. Something deep down told him it was wrong, but in the moment, he felt brazen and fresh.

"Where are we?" he asked again, surprised at the demanding tone of his own voice. He felt vulnerable.

"Answering a question with a question… that is fair enough. As I cannot imagine our meeting to be a simple coincidence… I shall tell you," he grunted. "This is the Great Plateau. According to legend, this is the birthplace of the entire kingdom of Hyrule. That temple nearby, I'm sure you saw… was the site of many sacred ceremonies. Ever since the decline of the kingdom, one hundred years ago, it has sat abandoned in a state of decay. Yet another forgotten entity… a mere ghost of its former self…"

The man trailed off then, returning his gaze to the fire. Link looked up at the temple. There were no other buildings in sight. In the very least, he could camp there.

Leaving the man and the warm fire behind - but grabbing one more apple for the road - he ran towards the temple. It was surrounded with some odd looking statues among the ruins, with curved patterns and disjointed bodies. He kept an eye on them as he passed, but ignored it and continued on. It wasn't long before he heard the voice again.

"Link - Link," it called out to him, and he looked around hurriedly, wishing he could see her, whoever it was. "Head for the point, mapped on your Sheikah Slate," it explained. A map?

He glanced to the Sheikah slate, and sure enough it had his position, as well as a small golden glowing marker, mapped on. It wasn't near the temple, so Link reluctantly turned from from the building, and began heading in the other direction. He could see a figure standing ahead of him; something red, with floppy ears; it looked up as he approached, and then shrieked, drawing a bow on him. Link ducked from its fire, running towards it and sweeping it off its feet with one swing from the tree branch. He yelled as he did so, feeling strangely primal. A couple more hits, and the monster exploded, leaving behind some body parts, a sword, a shield, a bow, and arrows.

 _Score,_ Link thought with a grin, not musing on why he had been able to so easily go after that monster he had never seen before. He gathered the items in his arms, tossing the shield and bow and arrows over his back, and pushed forward. He found himself in a cave of sorts, with another one of the pedestals sitting within it. He studied it for a moment; it looked like the right size for his Sheikah Slate, so he carefully laid the stone slab within it.

It fell, turned, and twisted, holding the slate securely while speaking again in the language Link didn't know, yet understood.

"Sheikah Tower activated."

 _What tower?_

"Please watch for falling rocks."

The rumbling that followed took Link off his feet. He fell backwards, looking up in awe and shock to see the stone of his 'cave' fall away. Whatever platform he was on began lifting into the air, higher and higher, before finally coming to a decided stop. Link turned onto his knees, and feeling shaky, crawled to the pedestal, slowly peeking his eyes warily up to the Sheikah Slate.

"Distilling local information..." the pedestal said, and the large blue stone above him began to glow, dripping with information until a single blue drop fell directly into the slate. Link blinked as it did so, and then took a closer look at the stone slab. It shone with information. It was a map, finally - but it was clear it was incomplete. Link stood quickly, curiosity getting the better of him. The drop in his peripherals made his head swim for a moment.

"Regional map extracted."

The slate was turned and twisted back out, presented to him in much the same way it had first been. Link took it hesitantly, studying the map for a moment, when the voice distracted him once again.

"Remember… try, _try_ to remember…" it pleaded, and now he could hear where it was coming from. He whirled around, looking in surprise at the massive castle in the distance, to see a light shining out of it. Something tugged at his mind, but he had no luck in remembering anything. It was the same light from his dream, but… had that been a dream, after all? He jogged towards it as it continued.

"You have been asleep for the past one hundred years."

Link was stopped in his tracks by that information. He wasn't one hundred years old. He was seventeen. He remembered his age, but this new information conflicted with that; and how could anyone sleep for one hundred years? Was that why he was so hungry? Where were his scars from? Why did he know his name, but not _who_ he was?

"The beast…" the voice continued, and a new rumbling shook the ground beneath the tower. "When the beast regains its true power, this world will face its end."

Link stared at the castle in shock as a clouded sort of figure began to envelop it. Pitch black and crimson, it circled its way around the tallest tower, eyes yellow and glowing, jaw unhinged when it roared. Link's heart sank. What ungodly creature was that?

"Now, then…" the soft voice was back, and Link found comfort in hearing it, "you must hurry, Link… before it's too late."

The voice knew his name. Whoever she was, knew who _he_ was, and it seemed that _she_ was in the castle. He subconsciously agreed to do whatever it would take. What else could he do? Eating baked apples by the fire all day would do nothing to answer his query. He turned to the hole in the floor. Was he supposed to drop through that to the ground? He peered over it carefully, and then realised he there was a ladder. Carefully, he lowered himself onto it, finding his way down to the next platform. He looked over the edge; still a ways to go, but the platforms were closer now, so he carefully dropped onto each one, all the way until he reached the bottom of the tower.

"Hoh!"

The old man's yell shocked Link, and he jumped in surprise, looking up to see the man soaring down to him with some sort of sail between his hands.

"I want that," Link said immediately, pointing to the sail as the man landed.

"My my… it would seem we have quite the enigma here," the man said, ignoring Link's previous statement. "This tower and others just like it have erupted across the land, one after the other. It is almost as though… a long-dormant power has awoken quite suddenly. If you do not mind me asking… did anything happen while you were atop that tower?"

"A girl was speaking to me," Link replied quickly.

"Well, now… a voice, you say! And did you happen to recognize this mysterious voice?"

Link was unsure. He stayed silent. He wanted to say yes and no at the same time, but the truth was that he didn't know.

"It appears it will take more time for you to gain my trust. I assume you caught sight of that _atrocity_ enshrouding the castle," the man continued, turning to face the castle. "That is Calamity Ganon. One hundred years ago, that vile entity brought the kingdom of Hyrule to ruin. It appeared suddenly, and destroyed everything in its path… So many innocent lives were lost in its wake. For a century, the very symbol of our kingdom, Hyrule castle, has managed to contain that evil. But just barely," he finished in a hushed voice. Link listened intently. This was good information, but taught him nothing about himself. He knew in listening to the man that he was sad that people had died; it was obviously a great evil, filling him with dread when he looked upon it, but he had no other memories nor emotions, besides fear, tied to it.

"There it festers, building its strength for the moment when it will unleash its blight upon the land once again," the old man said, turning back to face Link. "It would appear that moment is fast approaching. I must ask you, courageous one… do you intend to make your way to the castle?"

"Yes," Link answered without hesitation. He didn't know what he'd do. But he had to do something. Being scared didn't change the fact that he had to help.

"I had a feeling you would say that. Here, on this isolated plateau, we are surrounded by steep cliffs with no way down. If you were to try to jump off, well… no death could be more certain. Or more foolish," he added quickly, laughing to himself. Link didn't find it very funny in the moment.

"I can have your paraglider, then?" Link asked hopefully.

"Certainly! Why not?" the man exclaimed, giving Link the briefest flicker of hope, but then he continued to say, "but young man, there is no such thing as a free item in this world. How about a trade, for treasure that slumbers nearby? Come… I will show you something."

He led him up a ridge, and pointed out a structure a little ways away, glowing orange.

"A shrine," the man noted, looking back to Link. "There are four, here, on the Great Plateau. Prove your worth with those, and then I will give you the paraglider."

Looking upon the shrine, Link squinted his eyes, trying to see something familiar about it. The wind picked up and whipped past his hair, pushing him towards it, and he looked down at the ground to see that he had already take his first few steps. He turned to try and ask the old man further questions, but found he had disappeared.

Crickets chirped nearby, a frog from the river ahead of him croaked, and leaves rustled in the breeze. One thing had become suddenly and ominously clear: he was alone. Link could not help but feel like he was being watched. That old man had _seemed_ real, but the way in which he had disappeared was giving Link a sinking feeling like he'd just seen a ghost. It was too quiet. He had nothing else to do but to push forward.


	14. The Runes, Part 1

((This is about as in-depth as I'll go for any shrines; I promise! The pace will quicken with each coming chapter, save for some crucial moments, of course. Get ready for some feels at the end of the next chapter! ))

The shrine, as Link would learn, was called Oman Au. He immediately fell into the river on his way to it, but managed to snag a couple fish for his troubles. Still dripping wet, he held his slate up to the familiar pedestal, and it began to glow. A travel gate was formed, though Link was unsure what that meant, and the wall of the shrine opened to reveal a circular stone platform. Link walked warily towards it, and then paused, turning to face the outside world again. The sun must have been immediately above; noon already?

Without warning the stone lurched, moving downwards and taking Link with it. He steadied himself, watching curiously as he was lowered into a massive underground room. The walls were smooth and cold; it seemed man-made.

To you who sets foot in this shrine… I am Oman Au. In the name of the Goddess Hylia, I offer this trial.

The voice came to him not aloud, but telepathically, similar to the voice before. Link looked to see another pedestal, and put his slate in, impatient to receive his paraglider and be on his way. It had a large rune above it, exactly like the tower, and began to 'distill information.' Link wasn't sure what this could mean, but watched curiously as another droplet of information fell from the base of the eye on the rune and "into" his Sheikah slate. It lit up with a new display he had yet to see, and it read information to him about something called Magnesis.

Link lifted the Sheikah slate and read it with a new interest. "Magnesis… grab onto metal objects using the magnetic energy that pours forth from the Magnesis rune. Objects held in the magnetic snare can be lifted up and moved freely," he muttered to himself, raising his eyebrows in piqued interest. Metal objects.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed the giant metal slabs on the floor; they looked like doors, and it was clearly the only other way out of this room without leaving the way he came. Link lifted the magnesis slate, selected the rune, and pointed it steadily towards the first slab. He was shocked to feel it come into his grip, light as a feather, so he lifted the slate and tossed the large metal door off to the side. A hole was revealed in the floor, and excited about his new discovery, Link dropped down. A puzzle it was.

He found himself immediately in water, and gasped in surprise, reaching for the ledge next to him. Look before you jump, he reminded himself, pulling himself up onto the stone floor. There was only one way to go, so he followed the tunnel and clambered up a ladder into the next room. Stone blocks barred his path, but one was clearly metal, so he used the rune again to shove the others around. Immediately, he could hear a whirring from the other side. Dropping the block, he ran through, and found himself face to face with… some sort of spidery creature. It looked like a miniature of the statues he had seen back at the Temple, but this one was clearly alive, lit up and staring at him. It reminded him of the Sheikah slate designs, but made itself clear that it was an enemy, firing a warning shot at him immediately. He lifted his arms to protect himself, and they burned from the strike.

"Ah-" he grimaced, pulling out his tree branch and facing down the creature. A few hits was all it took, but on the last hit, his tree branch broke. He opted for the sword he had picked up earlier instead, sliding it onto his back as he watched the machine break into pieces, which he picked up tentatively. Ancient screws.

The rest of the 'puzzle' was relatively simple and at the end, Link saw the tomb where the monk, Oman Au, was waiting for him. He sat patiently, and looked to be about a billion years old, but Link doubted immediately whether he was actually alive or not after all.

Tentatively, he lifted his hand to the blue barrier that surrounded the monk's seat, and it glowed before shattering into pieces that seemed to evaporate midair.

You have proven to possess the resolve of a true hero. I am Oman Au, the creator of this trial. I am a humble monk, blessed with the sight of the Goddess Hylia and dedicated to helping those who seek to defeat Ganon. With your arrival, my duty is fulfilled. In the name of the Goddess Hylia, allow me to bestow this gift upon you… Please accept this Spirit Orb.

"Thanks," Link replied with a smile, happy that he had some allies in this world after all, though he was completely blindsided by what came next. From within the monk's skeletal body, an orb appeared, flying out and moving directly into Link's chest. He lifted a hand to where it had entered, and tried to see if he felt any different; not very. He felt his Sheikah Slate vibrate slightly, and when he looked at it, a new symbol appeared; 1.

One spirit orb. A moment later, the Monk began to disappear into the air like ash, and Link was so taken aback he hardly noticed the Monk wishing him one last wish: May the Goddess smile upon you.

When he left the shrine, a little upset that he had found no treasure, the swoosh of the old man sailing towards him was still a surprise.

"It seems you managed to get your hands on a Spirit Orb," he greeted him, and Link wondered for a moment if he would try to carve it out of his chest. He readied himself.

"How did you know?" he asked, calming himself when he realised - how had this man been able to tell the difference? It had entered his body, and even he hardly felt anything. The man only chuckled in response, hands resting on his lantern cane.

"The appearance of those towers, and the awakening of this shrine… it is all connected to that Sheikah Slate you carry on your hip there."

So he knew what the device was.

"What do you mean?" Link replied, getting a little frustrated at the man's purposeful mystery.

"Long ago, a highly advanced tribe known as the Sheikah inhabited these lands. The great power of their wisdom saved this land time and time again. But their ancient technology disappeared long ago… or so it is said. It is interesting however, to think… that something like that survived, all this time, in a shrine."

Same, Link thought, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. If a human body could do it, surely a slab of rock could handle a century underground?

"These shrines are tucked away in numerous places all across this land. On this plateau alone, there are three more, but there are others, far-to-reach, or buried from sight. I'm sure that attending to at least the shrines on this plateau will be no problem for a young go-getter like you," the old man laughed, and Link frowned.

"Since I'm feeling generous, I will give you a tip for finding shrines. It's always best to look for them from a high point… let's see here… How about you make your way to the top of that tower again?"

"Are you kidding?" Link replied, exasperated, as he stared at the massive tower he had so carefully made his way down from.

"Allow me to show you something that will make the trip easier. Open the map on your Sheikah Slate. See those blue icons? You should recognize them; the shrine you woke from, and the tower. You can travel instantly to any of those locations… including this shrine, and any others you may find."

Oh. That made things a lot simpler. He nodded briefly to the man, who began to walk towards the tower; he would probably take a while to get all the way up there, and Link was surprised he even wanted to bother, but he figured he would take a little more time to explore before "teleporting" up to the top. He was hungry, and apples and mushrooms weren't going to cut it anymore. He needed meat.

It only took a bit of creeping around before Link finally spotted some boars; actually, lots of them, more than he could handle to eat. Pulling back at his bow, he aimed for the head of one and let loose; the arrow struck confidently and the pig reeled back from impact, but dropped dead a moment later. Link's fist punched the air, and animals of all sorts suddenly fled from the vicinity. Meat packed away, Link finally selected the Sheikah Tower as a travel destination, and found his feet being lifted off the ground. The tingling sensation of teleportation was uncomfortable, but not horrible.

He found himself dropped lightly onto the top of the Sheikah Tower, and the man was already waiting for him. He turned to look at Link, an expectant expression sitting within his twinkling blue eyes.

"Now then… go ahead and search out those shrines. You can use the scope on your Sheikah Slate to put a pin on your map, so you can track them easily. I'll be waiting."

The old man finished talking with a finality that told Link it was all he would hear. The boy peered out at the wilderness, and for a moment finally took in the landscapes beyond the plateau; a huge mountain, a stretch of highlands, and a towering volcano. The Castle was there, nestled amidst it all, still enshrouded by a swirling stirring darkness that Link remembered as being named Calamity Ganon. The name did it justice; it was terrifying, even from this far away.

Just as the old man had said, there were three shrines close by, lit orange in colour. Two upon the mountains nearby and one among ruins not far from him. His vantage point told him more than just those shrines locations; the sun was beginning to set. Link watched the clouds cover it briefly, and wondered how he would best spend the night. Worse came to worse, he could go back into the shrine of resurrection and start a fire using the boxes and barrels within it… but he couldn't help feeling like it would be better to hurry on to the shrines. The closest one, for sure, was within the ruins nearby. From a distance, they seemed like a good place to spend the night, so Link hopped down the tower and began on his way as the sun fell beneath the horizon.

Night brought an oppressive quiet and it took Link some time for his eyes to get used to the unhindered darkness, but the sky was huge and vast and lit the world in moonlight. Link pressed on, but after clambering down a ridge, found himself directly in a camp of monsters. He looked at them for a moment, gave them a cheeky smile and a wave, and a horn sounded directly in response. They shrieked and yelled. He sighed, preparing himself as they ran to him, and lifted the shield he had found earlier. Immediately, an arrow stuck into the front of it; his gaze darted to the side, where one of the monsters sat on a wooden platform. Pulling out the arrow from his shield, he slid it into his bow and fired off at the beast, taking it out with a well-placed shot.

Shit, I'm a natural, he thought to himself with a grin, but no later did a massive wooden club come swinging at him from the side. It rammed into his arm and he fell sideways, shaking his head and struggling to get back up. He hit back with the sword, but again he was hit from behind by the second monster, and he stared at the ground for a moment, dirt beneath his fingers. Something in him snapped into place, and he swung, yelling as he knocked the two monsters off their feet with his sword. One more hit was all it took to finish them, and they fell backwards, defeated. Link was breathing heavily. He had to be more careful. Blood dripped from a large splinter he'd received from the club, and the boy slouched against the cliff, picking it out carefully in the moonlight. He felt exhausted, and fished the baked apple out of his bag from earlier, eating it alongside the mushroom. It helped him to feel a bit better, and he stood up, collecting the fallen items and weapons before heading towards the chest that had, he assumed, unlocked, atop another wooden outpost.

Crawling up the ladder in the dark, he opened the chest to find a small bundle of arrows. It wasn't much, but it would help. The scent of meat lingered in the air, and Link sniffed a bit, turning to the fire that the Bokoblins had created for themselves. They had obviously been preparing dinner. Jumping off the outpost, Link took it for himself, but decided he'd better save it for later rather than stuff it down right away.

As the night began, Link could feel himself getting somewhat sleepy, but tried to shake himself out of it and push forwards anyways. There was a lot on his mind, but nothing that would do any good by thinking of it, so he focused on staying in the moment. As he reached the ruins and walked tentatively around them, a familiar beeping sound began, coming from the statue ahead of him. It lifted its great head, lit up in red and blue, and stared him down with a single eye.

Link stared back. So some of them were alive? Was it just because it was night time? A laser was coming from its eye, and Link glanced down at his chest to see a tiny red target.

What…

At the last moment, he realised what was about to happen; the machine flashed, and Link fell out of the way, fire lighting in the grass behind him. Scrambling to his feet, he ran and dove behind a stone pillar, and another flash and explosion missed him by inches. Rocks flew throughout the area, one hitting Link directly in the chest, and he caught it like a softball, sitting against the stone pillar, completely winded by the small boulder slamming into his gut. His eyes watered, but soon the world around him came into focus again; the explosion had taken out a wall of rocks and beyond it was the shrine itself.

Something else was stirring. Skeletons dragged themselves up out of the ground, and Link stared at them in disbelief; he had no time to be scared, knowing the machine was still behind him and would fire if he dared step out from the pillar, so he pulled out the wooden club he'd stolen earlier and held tight to it as the skeletons approached. They had swords, at least. Good.

One hard swing from the club was enough to dispose of each skeleton. They fell, bones disappearing - save for their arms, Link noted curiously - and the boy pushed forward to the shrine, picking up one of their swords as he went.

It was similar to the last one in appearance and style. Again, he presented his Sheikah slate, and the tool he got this time - Remote Bombs - would prove extremely useful on his quest. By the time he was done, hair charred and burns covering his body but a goofy grin on his face at the new power he had received, the moon was halfway across Hyrule's sky. Despite feeling awake before, he knew he would have to sleep at some point, and chose a corner of the ruins to lean against. It wasn't too chilly, and though he wished he had a fire, sleep came quickly.

When he woke in the morning, Link was groggy. Part of him was relieved he'd even woke up at all, worried that the last day had been a dream and he would disappear back into the Shrine of Resurrection, but as he felt the sun warm his cheeks and his hair tickle his face in the wind, he knew it was real. He lifted his hands, running them through his hair - god, he had a lot of it. It was tied at the end, but he could feel it pulling and messy, so he combed through with his fingers and re-tied it back up. Much better. Curiosity still got the better of him; he could see, from the hair in his face, that he was blonde. But despite knowing his name and age, his actual appearance seemed to be out of reach in his memory, so he stood up and began to leave the ruins.

Again he sneaked past the creature, running when necessary, but it was clear that there were some stationary and some alive. He frowned to himself as he continued moving through the Great Plateau. How was he supposed to tell?

Two down, four to go, he reminded himself, but then sighed as he looked up at the mountain - it was snowing up there. He was already a little chilly with what he was wearing, but going up there for any period of time would surely be too cold…

Chop!

Link turned. A cottage was nearby - a cottage? And he slept in the dirt all night?

He hightailed it for the wooden building, but paused on his way there, distracted by his reflection in a pond. Slowly he stopped at the water's edge, his own blue eyes staring back at him. He spent some time trying to figure out a word for them. Not harsh… a sort of… confident calm. He smiled at himself, pulled at his cheeks, and traced his jawline with his own fingers, surprised at how sharp it was. Link admitted to himself that he liked his own features, though at this point, he didn't have much to compare to besides an old man with a huge white beard. So maybe it wasn't a fair judgment, not yet.

Link tore his eyes away from his own reflection, feeling like he wished he could speak to it; who are you? But focused once more on the wooden cottage. He was surprised to see the old man was out chopping down a pine tree. This must be where he lived. It was a nice little area, and Link could see him being comfortable here… as old and as foolish as he apparently was.

"Can- can I use your cooking pot?" Link called out to him, and the old man barely looked over his shoulder.

"Please, help yourself to whatever you need - I have some food you can use in the cottage, as well."

He continued chopping wood, wiping sweat off his brow. Link wondered vaguely if he should have gone to help him out, but the tree was falling, so he figured he'd make them both some dinner instead. Taking the liberty of entering the small house, he hummed to himself as he browsed the shelves; and then came across a diary. The Old Man's diary.

He was writing about a dish he used to make that he enjoyed, one that kept him warm. That'd be perfect for going up on the mountain; it was called the Spicy Meat and Seafood Fry, but he couldn't remember the third ingredient on top of spicy peppers and meat.

Link stared down at the page, incredulous. Was - was he that old? He had forgotten that his Spicy Meat and Seafood Fry included seafood? Shaking his head at the book, Link grabbed an armful of peppers and headed back to the cooking pot, tossing in the meat, fish, and peppers required. The smell seemed to bring the Old Man wandering back, and by the time he finally sat himself on the nearby log with a sigh and a groan, Link had handed him a plate.

"Wh- why, this is… my Spicy Meat and Seafood Fry," the man said in surprise. "How did you know?"

"I was just making something to eat for - the mountain," Link lied, hoping the man couldn't tell.

"Fantastic. I have a trade for you then, for dinner. It's hanging on the back of the door, so you can retrieve it anytime you like; I won't be needing it. For now, let us eat."

The man's way of speech struck Link as strangely noble, as opposed to the voice of someone who spent their lives in the wilderness. After he had begun to doze off on the log, elbows resting on his knees and snoring loudly, Link went ahead to check the back of the door; a warm sweater. Immediately he pulled it on, let out a shiver and smiled beneath it, even though it was a tad scratchy. He was sure, then, he'd be able to finish the next two shrines before the day's end.


	15. The Runes, Part 2

With a deep breath, and far more confidence than previously, Link set off up the mountain. He had spent some time cooking various elixirs and meals, all with spice and heat in them to keep him toasty up on the mountain; plus he figured he would be needing the energy. As he reached the tall stone pillars that gated the entrance, his feet sunk into the snow, and he realised it would be somewhat slow going from this point on.

After a few minutes of walking he came across a lake. He paused, staring at the waterfall at the end; it was beautiful, but there was something ominous about the waters. The sight of his own breath as he stopped had scared him, for just a moment; he jumped at the steam leaving his lips, but then sighed in relief. Heat filled his cheeks, and the tip of his nose. He was happy to be wearing the warm doublet.

A raft sat on the lake, and there was a tunnel across that led underneath the waterfall. Even though Link could see that he could traverse around the lake, it would take longer, and the curiosity as to what lay under the waterfall was too much to bear. The only problem was that the dock which the raft rested upon was broken halfway; how could he reach it? The water would be way too cold to swim in, and his clothes would be soaked after; there'd be no recovering from that, not as the sun had past noon.

Glancing sideways, he spotted a woodcutter's axe left carelessly within a pine tree. Approaching it, he rested his hand briefly on the handle of the axe, and then looked up the trunk of the tree. It was a good size; if he could get it to fall just right, he'd have a bridge to walk to the raft with.

With a grunt, he pulled the axe out, surprised at the weight in his hands. Breathing deeply, he swung it towards the tree, keeping his hips squared towards the lake. The pine shook, and needles and pinecones fell silently to the snow below, along with a giant leaf. It almost didn't look like it belonged to a pine tree, but Link tucked it into his belt nonetheless, figuring it would help him sail the raft. He hit the tree once more. The deep crack of breaking wood shook his eardrums, and the pine toppled, the trunk flowing in the lake ever so slowly to replace, however small, the dock that had been broken.

Tentatively, Link stepped upon it, and then ran the rest of the way, clambering onto the dock at the end. His heart was racing. He sat for a moment, cross-legged, watching the waterfall crash mercilessly into the lake at the far end. He had been born into this world, and spent, supposedly, seventeen conscious years in it, but it felt increasingly unforgiving. Had he really lived in Hyrule, the kingdom that was destroyed? Why was just he alive? Was it just him, the Old Man, and the voice in the castle? Who was he really saving?

He stood then, feeling somewhat depressed, eyes resting on the raft ahead of him. A loud cry pierced the silence, and he jumped, looking up in surprise to see an eagle soaring overhead. It dove, plunging into the frigid waters barely five feet away. Talons penetrated the surface, feathers wet with droplets, and the bird effortlessly pulled a struggling fish out of the water before lifting away. Link hadn't noticed his mouth dropping open in awe. Something other than the cold temperature gave him a chill to his bones, and he stared at the bird as long as he could before it disappeared. He smiled then, just a little, and pulled out the giant leaf he had taken from the tree. With a yell and a strong hit forward, the raft moved, wind lifting its tattered sail. Link staggered backwards, a little breathless and excited at his new endeavor, and continued.

The lake wasn't even that big, but sailing across it felt like an expedition to someone who had spent 100 years laying down. When he reached the end, he jumped a gap in the water, new confidence filling his heart. Sword drawn, he entered the cavern behind the waterfall, and found treasure, not monsters, as his reward. A bow, special arrows with tiny explosives tied to the ends, and a sword leagues above any he had found so far.

With new perserverance and gear, he began climbing the snowy mountain. Daylight hours became hard to tell as the powder fell, and each footstep was much harder than it would have been in grass, or at least without the proper footware. But when he reached the shrine atop the mountain, he realised he'd made better time than he'd assumed. It was yet to reach evening. Hurriedly, he entered the trial.

When he left, somewhat wet and chilly still, he came out with the power of Cryonisis. He knew, already, it would come in handy, and was becoming increasingly curious what the last shrine would grant him. Taking out one of the Boko shields from earlier, he jumped and landed on it, shredding down Hylia mountain towards the other end, as well as the old man's cottage. It was good timing.

The weather became more tolerable as he descended from the mountain, but the shrine was in somewhat of a hard to reach area. Carefully, Link lowered himself down the cliffside, trying to stay patient as he knew he was so close to receiving the paraglider. When he finally reached it, he found a treasure chest buried by a boulder too heavy to push; frustrated, he left it, and entered the fourth and final shrine of the Great Plateau.

It gifted him with the power of Stasis, an interesting power with uses Link was sure he'd discover as he traveled, and immediately he knew how to reach the treasure. Locking the boulder in place, he pulled out a sledgehammer he had picked up and hit it as many times as he could muster. As the stasis faded - the time limit was maybe about twenty seconds, if that - the boulder lifted from the ground, dirt and bugs falling from place, as it launched into the air and towards a completely separate mountain range. A smile stretched across Link's lips. He felt… like he could do this.

The Old Man greeted him then, flying down from who knows where, on his paraglider.

"Hoh - well done, courageous one. A deal is a deal. Meet me on the map where the four shrines intersect… draw an X between them, and meet me there. I will… be waiting…"

As he finished his speech, he disappeared, not with the paraglider and not like a _blink!_ but in slow, blue flames. Link's stomach sank. So - he was a ghost, after all? Or a spirit, of some type, but not human, not completely. Despite this, he was real, and Link bit his lip while pulling out the Sheikah Slate. Where the four shrines intersected, if there was an X between them…

With a surprised gasp, he looked up to see the Temple of Time, the ruined building the old man had pointed out previously. Confident he could make it before nightfall, Link began his descent further down the cliff, chopped a tree to use as a bridge to cross to the other side - with much less hesitance, despite the unending canyon beneath - and ran, as fast he could, towards the temple.

As he arrived, he could hear the old man yell again; " _up here."_

Clambering up to the top via a ladder, he tip-toed carefully across the broken-down ceiling of the temple, finding the man standing in the front tower, blue flames around him.

"Well done, young one," he chuckled. "Now then - the time has come… to show you who I truly am. I was King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule."

Link stared. _King?_ This was not some old fool who lived in a cottage and forgot that there was seafood in a seafood dish. He resisted the urge to kneel, but seeing as Rhoam was a _former_ king, he stayed standing. It didn't feel appropriate in the moment.

"I was… the last leader of Hyrule. A kingdom which no longer exists," he said with a depth and sadness to his voice. Blue light took over his body then, and the tattered clothes and hood and lantern cane disappeared, replaced with a man, undoubtedly the same, dressed in full royal attire. A crown sat upon his head, his beard white and clean and full, with a posture stronger than Link could ever hope to achieve. He floated ahead of him, and demanded respect.

"The Great Calamity was merciless… It devastated everything its path, lo, a century ago. It was then that my life was taken away from me," he explained, and his eyes at this point were not giving much away. He seemed less saddened by his own death, and more guilt-ridden.

"Since that time, here I have remained, in spirit form. I did not think it wise to overwhelm you, while your memory was still fragile," he explained, turning away from Link to pause at the stoney edge of the tower, broken away and giving out a view of Hyrule Castle.

""So rather than that, I thought it best to assume a temporary form." The King turned, ever slightly, to face Link. "Forgive me."

Link had nothing to say. He could not be angry at the man. He was finally getting the answers he wanted.

"I think you are now ready. Ready to hear what happened, one hundred years ago."

He turned to face Link now, and he steeled himself, taking a deep breath and nodding solemnly. The King narrowed his eyes momentarily at him, and then began.

"To know Calamity Ganon's true form, one must know the story from an age long past. The demon king was born into this kingdom, but his transformation into Malice created the _horror_ you see now. Stories of Ganon were passed from generation to generation in the form of legends and fairy tales. But there was also… a prophecy. _The signs of a resurrection of Calamity Ganon are clear, and the power to oppose it lies dormant beneath the ground._ We decided to heed this prophecy, and began excavating large areas of land. It wasn't long before we discovered several ancient relics made by the hands of our distant ancestors. These relics, the Divine Beasts, were giant machines piloted by warriors. We also found the Guardians, an army of mechanical soldiers who fought autonomously."

Link gasped, just a little, then, under his breath; was that what had fired at him before, by the second shrine? It had certainly been mechanical.

"This coincided with ancient legends, oft repeated throughout our land. We also learned of a princess with a sacred power, and her appointed knight, chosen by the sword that seals the darkness. It was they who sealed Ganon away using the power of these ancient relics."

Questions raced through Link's mind. Too many to keep track of. If the Guardians fought autonomously, whose side were they on? Who was the knight? The King seemed to sense the look in Link's eyes, and looked at him more steadily. It was clear his answers were coming.

"One hundred years ago, there was a princess set to inherit a sacred power, and a skilled knight at her side. It was clear that we must follow our ancestor's path. We selected four skilled individuals from across Hyrule and tasked them with the duty of piloting the Divine Beasts. With the princess as their commander, we dubbed these pilots Champions, a name that would solidify their unique bond. The princess, her appointed knight, and the rest of the Champions were on the brink of sealing away Ganon... "

Despite the King's obvious and ominous tone, Link had hope, for the briefest moment. He knew it had been unsuccessful. He could see the castle from here, torn apart by malice and devastation.

"But nay…" the king sighed, shaking his head, "Ganon was cunning, and he responded with a plan beyond our imagining. He appeared from deep below Hyrule castle, seized control of the Guardians and the Divine Beasts, and turned them against us. The Champions lost their lives. Those residing in the castle, as well. The appointed knight, gravely wounded, collapsed while defending the princess… and thus, the kingdom of Hyrule was devastated absolutely by Calamity Ganon."

He fell silent for a moment. Link stared at him. He was about to speak, but had no clue what to say to a king who had fallen with his kingdom. But Rhoam took a breath, and spoke again.

"However… the princess survived… to face Ganon alone."

As soon as he had finished that sentence, Link once again heard the voice, but now it came to him faster, clearer, than before. _Link… you are our final hope… the fate of Hyrule rests with you._

He shook himself out of the vision and stared back up at the King, who was facing away from him now, ashamed.

"That princess was my own daughter… my dear Zelda."

Link could nearly feel the air leaving his lungs. He was breathless, shaking on his knees, and grasped the stone wall nearby to brace himself from the horrifying feeling he had gotten when hearing that name. He _knew_ her. Eyes wide, he stared at the ground as the King continued speaking, unaware of Link's current state.

"And the courageous knight, who protected her right up to the very end… That knight was none other than you, Link."

The King seemed undisturbed by Link's current struggle. He shut his eyes tight, trying, desperately trying to put the pieces together in his mind. He knew her. He _knew Zelda._ The name itself struck such a chord in his heart that it nearly stopped. Of course he was the appointed knight, he had to protect her - always - sworn to her, to keeping her safe, and now-

he looked up suddenly at the King, fighting the tears welling in his eyes and the look of guilt-ridden horror on his face. This was not just backstory of Hyrule. It had told him something awful about himself: that he had been unable to protect her. That he had tried, and failed, at protecting Zelda, the very daughter of the man standing in front of him now.

"You fought valiantly, when your fate took an unfortunate turn… and then, you were taken to the Shrine of Resurrection. Here you now stand revitalized, one hundred years later."

 _Why me?_

"The words of guidance you have been hearing since your awakening are from Princess Zelda herself," the King added, and those words alone let Link breathe a little. She was still alive. Of course, that voice, the light in the castle, belonged to her. But how?

"Even now, as she works to restrain Ganon from within Hyrule Castle, she calls out for your help. However, my daughter's power will soon be exhausted. Once that happens, Ganon will freely regenerate himself and nothing will stop him from consuming our land. Considering that I could not save my own kingdom, I have no right to ask this of you, Link... but I am powerless here…"

The King's hands clenched into fists. He hesitated to meet Link's gaze.

"You must save her…my daughter. And do whatever it takes to annihilate Ganon. Somehow, Ganon has maintained control over all four Divine Beasts, as well as those Guardians swarming Hyrule Castle. I believe it would be quite reckless for you to head directly to the castle at this point. I suggest… that you make your way east, out to one of the villages in the wilderness. Follow the road out to Kakariko village," the king explained, lifting his arm in gesture towards the two mountains which appeared as one, split down the middle.

"There, you will find the elder, Impa. She will tell you more about the path that lies ahead. Consult the map on your Sheikah Slate for the precise location of Kakariko village. Make your way past the twin summits of the Dueling Peaks… from there, follow the road as it proceeds north."

Link was speechless. There was far too much to process from all that information, however grateful he was for it. He felt like his head was about to burst, and had nearly forgotten all about the paraglider when the King handed it over and disappeared with one last haunting message: _Link, you must save Hyrule._

He slumped against the wall of the tower. The sun had nearly set now, and he felt it no use to leave for Kakariko in the pitch black of night, so he stayed and waited out the darkness. Sleep did not come easy, and Link frequently awoke to stare at Hyrule Castle, trying to see the light again.

He thought of his own reflection. Zelda, the princess, had trusted him with her life; that much was clear. He had fallen in battle. Some mistake he had made, some miscalculation, had cost him everything, had cost _Hyrule_ everything. The guilt tore at him, and Link curled over, clutching his stomach. Was there no Champion more suited than he was, to be responsible for saving the Kingdom? The appointed knight was chosen by the sword that sealed the darkness, but he was sure he had no such weapon, nor any idea where to find it. He repeated her name over and over again in his head. Zelda. It was home to so many emotions he could not place, like a locked box he didn't have the key for, but _grief_ was the word that lingered on his tongue. For one hundred years, he had been asleep, his life given back to him, and she had been exhausting herself within the castle somehow holding back Calamity Ganon. What powers did she hold?

Link had maybe gotten an hour of real sleep when the sun began to rise, and pulled him from his slumber. He took one last look at the castle before holding out his new parasail, and jumped from the top of the Temple of Time, headed for the Dueling Peaks. It was time to go.


	16. Begin

((Thank you for the lovely reviews, as usual! Today was quite busy so I apologize if this is a late update. I will be trying to do at least one chapter per day! ))

Link's first jump had his heart in his throat. It took a moment of freefall for the wind to fill the parasail, and he glided effortlessly forwards, moving gradually downwards but not particularly fast. He tested the limits of the sail; he could tilt it slightly, forward and back, side to side, to slow his descent or change directions. He looked towards the Dueling Peaks in determination; they seemed faraway and unreachable from here, but there was nothing to do but walk there, one step at a time.

The walls of the Great Plateau disappeared beneath him and he had further to glide, so he let the wind take him as far as it would grant, towards a small ruined town. He could see a tower in the distance, identical in image to the Sheikah Tower of the Great Plateau, and knew he had to get there first so that his map could work properly. As he landed and pulled up the Sheikah slate, he was nothing more than a blinking blue dot on a blank screen. He took a deep breath, letting his shoulders fall, and tried to relax. Thoughts of last night's revelations were still plaguing his mind, tearing at his heartstrings and guilting him, but he had not recovered all his memories. He was yet to truly know Zelda, or himself, and wondered if there was any way it would actually happen. At least he, Link, should be easy over time; his gut reactions, his instinct. He felt guilt at what the King had told him, so he knew his values were properly aligned. The magnetic pull towards the Castle he felt was a desperate urge to right what had gone wrong; it was the voices, now, the ones telling him _you did this,_ that he had to push past.

So he began to walk, and focused on his surroundings.

The ruins were heartbreaking, yet full of life. Birds and bugs had made them their home, trees and plants began to grow within the stones. Monsters soured the experience, and Link soon found himself face-to-face with a creature twice the size of a Bokoblin, with a long snout and a spear rather than a sword. It shot at him with it, but thankfully was quite a bit slower, and Link was able to jump to the side and slash away at the body. It had more health than the others, but fell after a while nonetheless, and Link was nearly sweating at the end of it. He picked up new loot, and continued onwards, keeping an eye on his surroundings as the day slowly passed. He had found two shrines on his way; one almost directly on the path and another a little out of the way, surrounded by flowers and a lady very adamant about them, but he figured the spirit orbs were worth the detour. It was a relief, at least, to have found other Hylians.

It was a bigger world than he had imagined from the start. He passed over a large stone bridge, and spotted another man. Link waved hello in greeting, jogging to meet him, but the man didn't seem to be in good state. He was staring at the ruins of a Guardian nearby on the riverbed, and this one, Link noticed, had legs attached.

"This is the end… those towers popped up everywhere, and now the shrines are glowing…" the man was shaking. Link laughed.

"No, no, it's - fine -" he assured him, but stopped. How many people knew the legend that King Rhoam had told him? How many people were in this world, period? Did they know he had fallen in battle?

"What do you know?" the man asked suddenly, turning to look at him, and Link suddenly swallowed.

"Whatever it may be, I've been keeping an eye on _that thing_ ," he hissed, and Link followed his gaze to the ruins of the Guardian nearby. "I once had one come alive and start chasing me. I thought it was the end! But I managed to escape into the woods… It wasn't this one here, of course," he added, seeing the sudden look of concern on Link's face, "it was near the castle. There's many more there that are still awake. Just be careful out there."

The man then turned, and walked away. Link was pleased to see that there were indeed others here - the non-ghost type - but didn't have time to chat. He paused by the fire to take a bite of steak, and then kept moving. The tower was on the other side of the river, but Link wasn't confident in his swimming in such a strong current, so he hopped across Cryonisis towers instead.

The tower was guarded by some more bokoblins, but now there was a blue one tossed in the mix. The reds went down easy as ever, but the blue were more powerful, and as Link fought one, sword vs. sword, he found that it was more powerful than he had expected. It slashed him across his right arm, and he let out a yell from the pain, still trying desperately to hold his own sword up. Reverting to desperate measures, he kicked, and the monster toppled off the cliff behind itself, bursting into nothing at the bottom. Link grasped his wound then, dropping the sword he'd been carrying, and headed towards the fire. Tearing pieces from his old shirt, he wrapped his arm carefully, and then ate some fish. It seemed to do wonders for his wound, and though the pain would not completely go away, it was workable and no longer bleeding. There was something special about the nature of Hyrule; the food was enchantingly tasty, revitalizing, and unique in flavor. Perhaps he had just missed it after one hundred years away.

He parasailed to the tower then, latching immediately onto the side, and began heaving himself up. It took longer than he would have liked due to his aching arm, but reaching the top was a relief. It didn't feel as tall as it had felt while he was climbing; it was massively overshadowed by the dueling peaks directly above. From atop the tower, Link stared warily into the cavern between them. It was dark, but wide, broken by a fast flowing river.

Once his Sheikah Slate had registered the area, Link was surprised to see how much bigger it - West Necluda - was from the Great Plateau. All the same, Kakariko finally had a place on the map, and he could reach it by passing through the dueling peaks and then going north, just as the King had told him.

When he tucked away the slate and parasailed downwards, he followed an upper ridge through the cavern rather than opting for the road. Now and again he saw a light travel on it, or a horse, giving him relief that Hyrule was still more populated than he had assumed. He wasn't alone. The village would have amenities he could use, maybe… like a bath.

Two shrines later, Link had finally located the Dueling Peaks stables. Night was imminent, so he was relieved to see it, though a little perplexed; the building was in the shape of a horse's head. As he headed towards it, a couple men waved at him in greeting. There were a few people hanging around the stable, and Link was relieved to see warm beds beyond the doors.

"Hey! Need directions?" the first man asked, smiling as Link approached.

"Yeah, um - I have to get to Kakariko?" he asked, unsure if the man would know, but he responded cheerfully.

"Sure! You just follow this path, straight north. Can't miss it."

"That's great," Link said in relief, "thanks."

"I'd take a horse if I were you - my brother can board one for you, if you tame one and bring it over here."

Link was surprised to hear him mention horses, and looked at him quizzically; the man simply gestured out to the field where four wild horses were gathered. That would certainly make traveling a lot easier.

He received some instruction on how to tame a horse, and then struck out into the field as the sun set. Two of the horses were spotted, supposedly well-mannered breeds, but without the strength or stamina that came from the horses of just one colour. There was one black horse, and one blue one, but the black one was closer, so Link crept towards it. Now and again, their ears flicked from side to side, trying to listen for any threats, but the knight was quiet and paused when necessary. It took time before he was finally behind the stallion, and it was much bigger than anticipated, but Link jumped, grasping at its mane and swinging his legs over the body.

The horse bucked, neighing in offense at Link's efforts to calm it.

"Woah - woah there - ohhh oh oh," he said quietly, patting its neck as it began to calm. There was an immense power behind its muscles, and Link waited a moment for his energy to come back before trying to direct the steed in one direction or the other. It huffed as it moved, shaking its head in dissent and purposefully taking them in a separate direction, but over time became more agreeable. Finally, Link urged it to speed up, and it broke into a gallop.

The plains that spread out in front of him, then, reminded Link of his heartache. There must have been a hundred guardians, all dormant - or so Link hoped - tossed and left in the field, remnants of a battle he couldn't imagine. His horse slowed, and for a moment he sat, unknowingly looking upon the very battlefield he had died upon a century prior.

After a few moments of taking in the scenery, Link pulled the steed to the side and pushed the two of them towards the stable. Riding bareback wasn't easy, and he was wiped from a day of travelling, not to mention not much sleep from the previous night. An actual _bed_ seemed like such a luxury, and Link was almost tempted to simply sleep in the grass instead. But it wouldn't do his body any good.

The man at the front helped him register his horse, which he named _Horse,_ due to feeling quite sleep-deprived and unsure what else he would name it. He paid twenty rupees for the regular bed - it was all he had found on his travels so far - and crawled under the covers with a groan. The sound of the fire crackling, and soft mumbles of people nearby, was enough to put him to sleep immediately.

He had a nightmare that night. The moon, blood red and ominous, overlooked Hyrule and brought back to life the monsters he had killed; they came back, rejuvenated, like he had. Zelda had spoken to him in warning about it, urging him to be careful. Though he assumed it was a metaphor, when he woke in the morning and spoke to a man named Hino over some eggs for breakfast, he was assured it had not been a dream.

"What? The Blood Moon is a real phenomenon," Hino assured him, shaking his head and looking at Link seriously over the ridge of his glasses. "I devote my life to studying it… it's always on a full moon, but not every full moon. It brings back to life all the horrifying creatures Ganon created… living or mechanical." Hino shuddered. Link realised then, that Zelda's voice had not been part of his dream; she was legitimately warning him about the blood moon. In the course of just one knight, Ganon's strength had revitalized.

Link had to try to shake his nerves away as he took out Horse, and set off for Kakariko village. There were occasional enemies along the way, which he either fired arrows at or ignored completely. He didn't arrive until after lunch time, his stomach rumbling, and paused at the gates of the town to offer Horse an apple and eat one himself. The steed was grateful, clearly becoming more accepting of him as a rider, and waited patiently just past the town gates as Link proceeded.

Kakariko was a sight for sore eyes. A village, not developed, but not run-down, not in ruins. It had clearly been safe tucked away in the mountainside for over a hundred years. Lanterns were lit throughout the town, and the townspeople were all dressed very specifically. An older women near the gate called to him as he passed.

"Oh - a traveler?" she asked, and Link immediately ran to her, seeing that she was struggling to stand up. "Thank you, young one… I'm afraid my ankle was quite twisted there. May I ask, what is that you have on your hip?"

"Er - a Sheikah Slate," he said, somewhat unsure as to whether or not he should divulge the information. But the old lady's tiny eyes widened, and she clapped her hands together.

"You should speak with Impa. She lives under Lantern Falls, there," she replied, gesturing to a house at the edge of town. _Just as King Rhoam said,_ he thought to himself, nodding in thanks to the woman after making sure she was okay on her own, and then jogging through town. There was an inn here as well, and a small statue of Hylia that Link felt drawn to as he made his way to Impa's house; he walked towards where it stood in the middle of the small pond, and shut his eyes in a moment of respect. What came next caught him completely off guard; she spoke to him.

"You who have conquered the shrines and claimed the Spirit Orbs… I can offer you great power. I can trade four spirit orbs for health or energy."

Link stared at the statue in shock, and dared not break whatever spell he had created by looking elsewhere to see if anyone had noticed the statue of Hylia actually speaking to him. Nonetheless, in his mind he chose stamina; and since he had eight spirit orbs, the health came next. He felt himself somewhat revitalized, with more energy than before, and realised for the first time how important those spirit orbs really were.

Impa's house was behind him now, and he headed towards it, but the guards in front of the steps immediately rested their hands on their weapons.

"Woah there! How dare you try to trespass upon Lady Impa's abode -"

"Dorian!" the one guard interrupted, "is that… the Sheikah Slate? But then, could it really be?"

A moment passed as the guards seemed to think among themselves. "Please accept our apologies, friend… we have heard the legends. Proceed," the first guard exclaimed, and Link didn't know what else to do but look at them sympathetically. Clearly the people here knew his Sheikah Slate. Did Impa have something to do with it?

"Please, go right ahead," the other guard said, and they each stepped aside to let him pass. As Link ascended the stairs, a girl at the top caught his eye, with white hair tied in an interesting up-do and big, brown eyes. She was scrubbing the wood, and as Link approached the doors, stood up quite suddenly and stared at him.

"A man!?" she exclaimed, covering her eyes, though it was painfully obvious that she was peeking through her fingers at him. "Huh - is that - the Sheikah Slate?" she asked, slowly removing her hands and looking at Link in confusion. "Could you be the hero my grandmother told me about? Oh no… what was his name… Li… Lin… ummmm…"

 _Cute,_ Link found himself thinking without being able to stop himself.

"No, can't be, I'm just not good at speaking… as for me, my name is Pa- pa- pa- Paya," she finally blurted out. "I know I should be able to speak it easily, seeing as it's my own name… I'm sorry."

"You don't have to say sorry," Link said without thinking. "I'm Link."

"Oh! So I did have it right? Almost…" she said excitedly. "Anyways, my grandmother has been waiting your return since I was little... please hurry inside." With that, the girl stopped talking. She clasped her hands in front of her and stared down at the floor instead of looking at Link - at all - so he went ahead and opened the doors. The two of them opened together, and the house ahead of him was so dim, he nearly didn't make out the figure at the end of the room.

Sitting atop three layered pillows was who he assumed could only be Impa. She was a small, older women, with a weighted hat on and a posture that told him she didn't… move… often.

"So, you're finally awake," she said quietly as he walked into the house. Her eyes landed on him, somewhat judgmental, but suddenly a smile broke on her features and she slapped her knee. "It's been a long time, Link. I am much older now, but… you remember me, don't you?"

He felt like stepping back. He really had lost all his memories. In front of him was someone he had known, personally, one hundred years ago, but now she was a complete stranger. The name Impa itself didn't ring any bells. He felt horrible.

"What's the matter?" she asked, clearly wise to his caution. "You're looking at me like I'm a stranger to you… those eyes lack the light of familiarity."

As she realised he longer remembered, she let out a sigh, and he came closer to her, hoping he could convey with his eyes how sorry he was that he no longer remembered her. In the back of his mind, he wondered how many times this would happen, or if he could ever recover his memories… at all.

"It is I, courageous one… Impa. Surely you must at least remember the name Impa?"

She raised one eyebrow at him, and still he said nothing, merely dipping his gaze to the floor.

"Rho- King Rhoam… told me your name," he admitted.

"I see!" she exclaimed, eyes wide. "So you really have lost your memory. Well… it matters not," she digressed, though Link wanted to argue that. Of course it mattered! "In fact," she continued, "this may be a blessing in disguise for the time being. Dearest Link… come closer."

He did so, and Impa recalled a tale he had heard before.

"A hundred years ago… yes, a a hundred years ago, the kingdom of Hyrule was destroyed. After you fell, Princess Zelda's final wish was to place you in a sacred slumber. And then, all alone… she went to face Ganon. However, before she went nobly to meet her fate, she entrusted me with some words she wished to say to you. I have been waiting one hundred years to deliver her message. However!"

Impa suddenly leaned forward and it caught Link so by surprise, he nearly stepped backwards.

"These words which Princess Zelda risked her life to leave you… well, if you are to hear them, you must be willing to risk your life as well."

"Yes," Link replied briskly, and Impa looked at him expectantly.

"Some things don't change," she said with a mischievous smile, but then her expression dropped. "These words, I cannot pass on to someone who lacks conviction. Are you willing to risk your life for the greater good?"

"I am," Link said, more determination in his voice than ever.

"Ha! Not a memory to your name, but yet you are intent as ever to charge forward with only courage and justice on your side. You have not changed a bit. Once a hero, always a hero," Impa said with finality, and Link appreciated those words. Still, he did not know himself, but clearly his instincts and values were steering him in the right direction.

"Very well. Since you have lost your memory, I will recount all that has happened… The history of the royal family of Hyrule is also the history of Calamity Ganon, a primal evil that has been turned back time and time again by a warrior wielding the soul of a hero and a princess who carries the blood of a Goddess. With the passage of time, each conflict with Ganon faded into legend. So listen closely as I tell you of this _legend_ that occurred ten thousand years ago.

"Hyrule was then blossoming as a highly advanced civilization. Even the most powerful monsters posed little threat to the denizens of the realm. The people thought it wise to utilize their technological prowess to ensure the safety of the land, should Calamity Ganon ever return. They constructed four mechanical wonders that came to be known as the Divine Beasts. They also built a legion of autonomous weapons called Guardians. The Divine Beasts were piloted by four individuals of exceptional skill from across the land… and thus, the plan to neutralize Ganon was forged. Upon Ganon's inevitable return to Hyrule, the princess and the hero fought alongside these for Champions against this ancient evil. The Guardians were tasked with protecting the hero, as the Divine Beasts unleashed a furious attack upon their terrible foe. And when the hero wielding the sword that seals the darkness delivered his final blow… the Princess used her sacred power to seal away Calamity Ganon."

Impa fell quiet. It was clearly a story of how things _should_ have gone a hundred years ago, had Ganon not taken control of the machines, but once again Link had heard of the sword that seals the darkness and the soul of a hero; he knew for sure he didn't have the sword, and how to know if he wielded the soul of a hero, as well?

"A hundred years ago," Impa suddenly continued, "in preparation for the foretold revival of Ganon, we strove to follow the lead of our ancestors ten thousand years prior. But… in the end… despite our best efforts and careful planning, we underestimated his power. In order to avoid ever making that grave mistake again, the princess left you these words… Free the four Divine Beasts. That is what she said."

Link nodded. The beasts. He could do that, even though he had no real idea how.

"Also, Link… it seems your Sheikah Slate is not yet complete. The device Princess Zelda left you is your guide, and also your memory… Someone at the Hateno Research Lab should be able to help you."

"Hateno?" Link asked, tilting his head. If there was something the Sheikah Slate could do to help his memory, he was all for it. Impa gestured for the slate, and Link held it out to her carefully; she placed a marker to the east, in an unknown area of the map.

"It is a small village… one of the few places that avoided suffering significant damage during the Great Calamity," Impa nodded, and then looked upon Link with determined brown eyes.

"Now, go."


	17. Locked Mementos

Link had to backtrack somewhat to get to Hateno, and by the time he arrived, he had completed a couple more shrines and a Sheikah tower along the way. He'd also had his first run-in with a member of the Yiga Clan. Link knew something was wrong as soon as he saw his face; not a face, just a mask, with an upside-down Sheikah eye painted on. It couldn't have been more obvious that the person was not only Sheikah, but _against_ them, and after trying to recruit Link into their ranks, drew a sword and demanded he die. _Yeah, not so much._

A man with a farming hoe met Link at the gates of Hateno, holding it up threateningly, but Link responded with a friendly smile. Immediately, he stood down.

"A traveler?" he asked, and Link tilted his head from atop Horse.

"I guess," he responded, and then "Yes, a traveler," as soon as he saw the man's confused look.

"I can show ya around, if you like," the villager replied, but Link shook his head and pushed his horse to trot on further.

"That's okay, I'll find my way around," he responded with a grateful smile. "Thank you, though."

The town was more spread out than Kakariko, sitting atop a hillside. It was humid, too, and Link wondered how close the ocean was now that he could feel it in the air. The weather was a little less predictable, with the sun disappearing and re-appearing behind clouds several times within the hour, rain passing over and leaving again within the course of twenty minutes. Kids were running through town and giggling, and there also seemed to be some sort of a dye shop, but he wasn't interested in armor right now. He passed the inn, and then ended up going uphill with his horse. There was some sort of structure at the top, and eventually it was clear that it was the last one he had to go to.

Some sort of stove was sitting outside, and Link glanced at the floor; it looked just like the circle on the Sheikah towers. Taking this as an indication that he was in the right place, the knight pushed open the doors, surprised to see a dusty room, a young girl, and a man standing at the back.

"Uh - am I in the right place?" he asked, addressing the girl first, who was standing on a stool at the table. Her big brown eyes looked at him through red-rimmed glasses, mostly with disinterest.

"This is the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab," she greeted him, "do you have some business with the director?"

"Er, yeah, please."

"The director is in the back," she replied quickly, averting her gaze to study her nails. "Terribly busy, that one. Try and keep it brief."

Link glanced up to the man, who was standing near bookshelves in the back of the room, and tentatively approached him.

"Excuse me," Link greeted him, and he turned, adjusting his glasses as he studied Link.

"Hello! I imagine you've never seen so many books in one place. Incredible, isn't it? We've gathered all of Hyrule's known literature on ancient civilizations here. As for the actual number of books, well…" the Sheikah trailed off, suddenly looking at Link with more intrigue. "wait, is that- is that thing on your waist… is that a Sheikah… yes! There's no doubt about it, that's a Sheikah slate, isn't it?" he exclaimed suddenly, staring at the stone rectangle before looking back up at Link. "I've never actually seen one in person!"

 _There's more than one?_ Link wondered briefly, but wasn't given any time to mull over his thoughts.

"If you could just show me the runes on it, I'd be most appreciative."

Link obliged, pulling the slate off his waist and opening up the page with all the runes. The man nodded quietly to himself.

"Strange… it doesn't seem like you have the basic runes. I don't understand why they're missing. There must be some reason. Ah! Where are my manners? I completely forgot to introduce myself. My name is Symin. You are… Link, right?"

"You… know me?" Link asked, ready to feel disappointed in himself again.

"Lady Impa caught me up to speed," Symin explained, and Link let out a sigh of relief. "We were told a young man with a Sheikah Slate would appear, and to do all we could to help him. He will be the hope that awakens from the Slumber of Restoration - his name is Link.

"Oh!" he suddenly remembered, turning to face the girl at the table, "Ms. Director! This is the real Sheikah Slate!"

"Director?" Link asked, looking in surprise back at the girl.

"Oh, yes. Ms. Purah is the leading authority on ancient Hyrule culture."

"Check it!" Purah exclaimed, jumping on her stool and striking a pose.

"I'm honored to be her assistant - I have the utmost respect for Ms. Purah and the work she does," Symin said with a smile, still looking at the director as he spoke. "You should talk to her yourself."

 _I already tried to,_ Link grumbled to himself, turning to go back to Purah. The girl was already giggling. How did someone so young become Hyrule's foremost figure in ancient culture and research?

"Surprised?" she asked him with a knowing grin, "the director is _me_! Snappity snap! Aaaanyway Linky, do you remember any dreams from your slumber of restoration? You don't look like you've changed in a hundred years, but something must have happened in all that time!"

Link winced. So this was someone he had known.

"Linky?" she asked, cocking her head, "What's the matter? What's with that look? You do still remember me, right?"

"I'm sorry, no," he replied, his voice quiet.

"Really? Well, I'm so shocked I don't know if I'll ever be able to recover… even though a hundred years ago, I took you to the shrine of resurrection after Calamity Ganon fatally wounded you? Even though I was the one who put you safely into the slumber of restoration? Despite all that, you still don't remember me?"

This girl? This little girl, a _hundred years prior,_ had been the one to take him there from when he fell in battle? How was that possible? At the same time, she would have no reason to lie; he owed her his life.

Without a moment to lose, she pulled out a notebook and jotted down a few quick notes, muttering under her breath as she did so: " _as expected… after 100 years in slumber of restoration, subject has lost all memories..._ noted!"

"Aren't you a child?" Link blurted out suddenly, and Purah pouted in response.

"How very rude! Although I suppose… it's a rather logical conclusion to come to. The truth is, I look this way due to a failed experiment. Well, I say 'failed,' but in some ways it was a success. I documented everything in my diary upstairs. But it's quite embarrassing, so I insist you refrain from reading it," she added quickly, giving him a determined stare, hands on her hips. Even on the stool, she was still quite a bit shorter than him.

"Anyways," she digressed, "here you are, one hundred years later! Here to defeat Calamity Ganon, who is growing stronger with every moment! And to rescue your - our - beloved Princess Zelda! That is, if you've got the courage to try. So I, Purah, will restore the basic runes on your slate in order to aid you. What do you say to that?"

The whole spiel was surprisingly motivating. Link smiled in spite of himself.

"Yes, please," he said with a grateful smile, feeling himself relax.

"I knew you'd say that!" she giggled, but then fell serious. "First, I need you to run an errand for me. You know the unlit furnace on the wall of this lab? Could you please bring the blue flame from the ancient furnace in town, and use it to light ours? Then our Guidance Stone will work and I can restore your runes."

Link agreed, though he was a bit disappointed that he still had work to do before he could see what further uses the Sheikah Slate had. Purah pointed out a torch in the room for him, and he set to work, though it took him the better part of the afternoon. Rain in Hateno was painfully common, and the knight spent a good hour or so over the course of his work just sitting under trees, waiting for it to pass. He found it good weather to think in, at least, and the time passed quickly as he wondered how Purah had gotten him to the shrine of resurrection on her own… or had she had help? What did she look like a hundred years ago?

When he finally lit the furnace out front of the Hateno tech lab, panting from having to fight an array of bokoblins during the last stretch, he was surprised to see the blue circle out front of the lab light up. He would be able to travel there instantly. As he walked back into the lab, setting the torch down on the floor, he slumped into the chair across from Purah.

"Thanks, Linky! The guidance stone is setting up now - this is pure science! Go ahead and put your Sheikah Slate on the stone and it will restore it for you!"

With a grunt, Link pulled himself to his feet and placed the slate carefully into the guidance stone.

 _Starting repair,_ the pedestal spoke, and the rune above it began glowing with information that then dripped down into the sheikah slate. When Link took another look at the slate now, he noticed a new rune - the Camera - and photos began to fill his album, twelve of them in total, from all sorts of different places that Link didn't recognize.

"Alright! Camera, Hyrule Compendium, album… looks good! And you already have some photos stored on here. You were the Princess' appointed knight, so there's a strong possibility you accompanied her to all of these places," Purah said excitedly, taking a look through the pictures before handing the slate back to him.

"The lost memory thing doesn't help your case much, but these pictures might be the missing piece to help you restore your memory. You should try and find them," Purah said with a smile, resting her hands on her hips. "I would check in with Impa, though. She knows more about Princess Zelda than I do."

 _Pictures?_ Link looked at the album in confusion. How had it captured these images in perfect likeness? They weren't sketches; it was like he was right there staring at them, but he had no time to ask questions. He was sure he'd still be confused even if he got an explanation. After saying goodbye to Purah and Symin, Link left the lab as the sun was setting. He left his horse in Hateno, and teleported to the shrine in Kakariko instead, sailing down to Impa's house. If the pictures could help him regain his memory, he wanted to find them as soon as possible. Of course, he had to find these twelve places, _and_ get the four Divine Beasts… it was a lot of work, but all he could do was move forward at as fast a pace as possible.

When he arrived, he opened the doors carefully and approached Impa at her pillows. Paya shot him an embarrassed smile as he passed.

"Huh… I heard Purah was giving you the runaround, but here you are," Impa said mischievously, "Now then… let me see the slate."

He handed it over carefully, and Impa hummed as she looked at the twelve photos.

"Yes, this is without a doubt the Camera that Princess Zelda used one hundred years ago," Impa reaffirmed. "It is possible that if you visit the places in these photographs, you will recover some or all of your memories. Please Link, come back once you have visited at least one of these locations, and we will talk further. There is something I wish to give to you."

"Thank you," he said quietly to Impa, who cast him a reassuring smile from under the rim of her hat.

"Link… you can do this," she said suddenly, before he had reached the door. He paused, one hand pressed against the wood, and paused. "You've done it before."

He felt like he was about to choke up, so he said nothing and replied with simply a stoic nod, before heading down the steps into the village. A strange looking man was painting near the Hylia statue, shooting ink all over his canvas, so Link approached him, curious at what he was painting. It was Impa's house.

"A traveler?" the man asked him, feeling Link's gaze from behind him.

"Yes," Link replied simply.

"Well met! Pikango," and with that, the painter turned, wiping his hand and offering it to Link. Taken aback, but happy about the sudden hospitality, Link shook his hand with a smile.

"I've been all over, but I'm still trying to find new places to paint."

"Have you, uh… seen this place?" Link asked him, choosing one of the pictures to show the painter. Pikango looked at it curiously for a moment, eyebrows raised.

"My, aren't you an excellent sketch artist," he mused, and Link didn't bother to correct him. Explaining the camera would be too difficult. He still didn't really understand it.

"Yes, that's the West Gate at Mount Lanayru," he nodded. "Northeast, not far from here."

"Thank you!" Link replied, waving as he broke into a run out of the village. If there was even a small chance of recovering some of his memories, it would be worth it; he was tired of meeting people and not recognizing them, tired of living in a body that hardly felt like his own. It was all too unfamiliar, and he had guilt for people and things he had completely forgotten. Altogether it was wrong. There had to be a way to bring it back.

The road to Lanayru was massive and in ruins; Bokoblins and Moblins fired arrows at him as he went, and he took them out in kind. Despite not remembering who he was, he had clearly not forgotten how to fight, and found that his arrows nearly always met their mark. He felt like he entered a bit of a trance when he fought; it felt right, fighting for Hyrule, the kingdom that was waiting on just… him. It felt right, but at the moment, it also felt lonely.

The gate was even bigger than the picture made it seem, lit by the moonlight and paving the way to Mt. Lanayru. The knight slowed as he walked, and pulled out the Sheikah Slate, taking a look at the picture. It was exactly where he was now. Just when Link was expecting nothing to happen, it suddenly came to him - what happened where he stood a hundred years prior.

It was him and a girl he assumed had to be Zelda; he remembered her face now, clear as day, and felt his heart jump at the thought of her green eyes. What feelings did he have for her? It was tough to pinpoint, but there was something bugging him about it. There were four other individuals in his memories, and he knew them by name immediately; Revali, Mipha, Urbosa, Daruk. They were the Champions, he knew that much, but nothing beyond that. This is where they had been; Zelda tried to find unlock her sealing abilities at the Spring of Wisdom, but had no success, and then Ganon returned. He took over Hyrule Castle, feeding malice into the bodies of the Guardians and taking over the kingdom. Zelda desperately wanted to be on the battlefield with them… and that was it.

 **"No..." he complained, rubbing his forehead.** ** _I need more._** **Why had he fallen in battle? The Champions had had confidence in him - all but Revali, it appeared - but it was driving him crazy not knowing what had happened to him. At least know, he knew, it was real.** Part of him had wondered whether this had all just been one big dream, or if he'd been told the truth at all, but this was validation. It was all true. He had been there, a hundred years ago. He was the Hero.

Returning to Impa was all he could do now. It was dawn again by the time he arrived in Kakariko, and Link was exhausted from staying up traveling all night, bloodied from monsters, and for the first time in a long time, desperate for a drink of ale his father used to have. He never liked it when he was younger; sure it was nice and cold on a hot day, but other than that what taste did it really offer? But now, more tired than he had ever been, he understood. _Maybe my reward for beating Ganon,_ he thought with a weak smile, dragging his heels back into Kakariko village and up the steps to Impa's house.

"Oh my Goddess, Master Link, you- you need rest!" Paya fretted, fussing over him as he pushed past the doors into Impa's house. "Please, your clothes are a mess, you have leaves all in your hair and an arrow… stuck in your shoulder…" she trailed off, covering her mouth with her hands. Link lifted his eyebrows in surprise, glancing over his right shoulder, and then his left. Sure enough there was an arrow stuck there. It hurt a little, but he had clearly not noticed in the moment.

"Huh," he said with vague interest, but didn't bother to pull it out. It would hurt more then. He gave one smile to Paya before seating himself in front of Impa, letting out a long sigh as he did so.

"You found a memory?" Impa asked, and Link nodded wordlessly.

"Good. Then I will give you this."

From behind her stack of pillows, Impa pulled out a blue tunic, and Link recognized it immediately. He had been wearing it the day Ganon returned. He lifted it carefully to his face and smelled it; clean, but a familiar scent (if a little stale) from a century prior. Plus, it was soft. Maybe not as warm as the doublet he'd been wearing, but he could use something a little lighter for running around in, anyways.

"I have been keeping it safe for you, at request of the Princess. It was specially made for you when you became a Champion, so treat it with care. And Link - you look a mess. Let Paya clean you up and get some rest and food before you leave. I would suggest… Zora's domain. It is the closest Divine Beast from here, and in the best climate."

Link glanced to the side to see Paya waiting for him at the foot of the stairs. Reluctantly, he agreed, and with the tunic in hand he headed up the steps behind her. Rather than being consumed by nerves as she had been before, the Sheikah waited patiently for him to take his doublet off before ripping the arrow out of his shoulder. He grimaced but said nothing besides a quick "thanks," and she treated the few wounds he had, scrubbed his torso down with soap and a rough sponge, and then pointed at the bed.

"It's eight in the morning," he complained, but the girl met his stare with stubborn brown eyes and he finally sunk under the covers, surprised to feel her tucking him in tight afterwards, from his shoulders down to his feet. The blankets sat up to his nose, and he stared past the edge of the covers at the ceiling for a while, listening to the sounds of Kakariko Village waking up for the day. It turned out to be pretty good ambiance, because the knight passed out before long into a comfortable and much-needed sleep.


	18. Vah Ruta

Link awoke to the aroma of meat cooking over a fire. His stomach grumbled as he sat up, fighting against the blankets that had wrapped him so comfortably before. He slipped on the new blue Champion's tunic that Impa had gave him, slid on his bow, quiver, sword, and shield, and headed downstairs. Impa and Paya were enjoying lunch, so he waved to them and headed past, out the doors.

At the cooking pot he found a little girl, almost too little to be cooking on her own, and he smiled and sat across from her while preparing some meat for himself.

"Oh? You like to cook, mister?" the little girl asked, eating a piece of honeyed apple she had made for herself. It looked good.

"I have to," Link replied casually, flipping his steak. "Keeps me going."

"Mmm," the girl hummed to herself, still chewing her apple. "Come and cook with me okay? I don't have anyone to cook with anymore."

Link cast her a look, then, a little surprised at the sudden sad tone.

"Sure," he said carefully, and he was relieved to see her expression light up again. Together they sat, cooking several dishes and sharing some honeyed apple, until Link had nearly run out of his store of ingredients.

"Yay! Good luck, mister Traveler," she said with a smile, before taking the rest of her apple and running back through the village. Link sat and ate for a moment before going over what Impa had told him. Zora's Domain was the closest area… there he would find a Divine Beast to conquer. He still had no idea what was really in store for him, but there was only one way to find out.

 _Horse_ was back in Hateno, and Link didn't feel like backtracking to get him, so he set out on foot, heading north out of the village. Kakariko was clearly perched in a high spot, and as Link moved carefully about the cliffsides, it was clear he would have to jump and parasail at some point into unknown territory. He could see a tower across the water, partway up the mountain, and knew he had to reach it, but it wouldn't be an easy hike. Plus, the entire area seemed to be covered in rain… climbing anything wouldn't be easy at all.

He jumped finally, sailing down towards the wetlands, and keeping an eye on the path that would lead him up to Zora's domain. It was clear that it would be a bit of a hike. His horse wouldn't have been much help here anyways.

As soon as he landed in the damp grass of a small island in the lake, he was greeted with a voice that caught him off guard. He glanced around, but saw no one - until finally - " _out here, in the water!"_

The knight turned and looked out at the lake, squinting in the sun, and finally spotted the source of the voice. A Zora was sitting in the water, her yellow fins bright in the sun.

"You're a Hylian, aren't you? Please, can I ask you to go to Zora's Domain? Our people need your help," she pleaded with him, and Link approached the shore.

"What's going on?"

"It's Vah Ruta. The big elephant that was supposed to look over us and protect us… has been covering Zora's domain with never-ending rain. It could flood all of Hyrule if the dam breaks," she explained, and Link winced. So there were bigger, lasting effects of Ganon's control over the beasts after all.

"I'm on my way there," he assured her, breaking off into a jog. On his way, he found several other Zora that all told him the same thing; and finally, as he reached the path and a bridge that could take him across the river, another voice caught him off guard.

"Say hey there! Young one!"

Instinctively, Link peered over the bridge rails at the water, but saw no Zora in sight.

"Above youuuu!" the voice sang, and finally Link looked up, holding his hand above his eyes to try and shield them from the rain. A taller, red zora was standing on a guard tower above him. He jumped, flipping mid-air, and landed gracefully in front of Link. He was particularly flashy for a Zora, and looked somewhat military with armored plates on his shoulders and ribbons hanging from his chestpiece.

"Pardon the entrance, but you are Hylian, aren't you? I was hoping perhaps that you'd have a moment to talk."

"Sure," Link replied, expecting something akin to the spiel he'd already gotten from zoras previously.

"Fantastic! I am Sidon, the Zora Prince," he introduced himself, clenching a webbed fist and grinning at Link with flashy, pearly white teeth. "And you are?"

"Link."

"Link! What a fantastic name!" Sidon exclaimed, and then lifted his hand to his chin in thought, "but I cannot help feeling I have heard it before… Well, in any case, it is a strong name! To be honest, I've been watching you. I've seen the way you work. I can tell by the way you carry yourself that you're no ordinary person! You must be a strong warrior among the Hylians, am I right?"

Link looked at Sidon warily - he was enthusiastic, but the knight couldn't help but be surprised he hadn't recognized him. Though, he supposed that was a blessing. There was something awkward about everyone in Kakariko suddenly knowing his name and face within a couple hours of his arrival.

"Yeah," Link replied, nodding.

"As expected! I am a Zora Prince, after all. I have an eye for talent that is unparalleled. I have been searching for a man like you for quite some while, a man who carries himself with power! Currently, Zora's Domain is in grave danger because of the massive rainfall coming from Divine Beast Vah Ruta. Please, promise you will help us - will you come with me, to Zora's Domain?"

"Yes," Link replied, though he was feeling quite soaked through from the rain and wished that Sidon would stop talking so he could start moving.

"Thank you, Link! You are indeed the man I thought you were! No time to waste, now - hurry on and head over. The cliffs are too wet to climb, so just follow this path all the way up," he explained, gesturing to the bridge. "You likely have a tough fight in store… the monsters along this path battle with electricity."

Sidon finally left then, backflipping into the water and disappearing in a flash of red amidst the rain. Link watched him go for a moment, adjusted the sword and shield on his back, and took off. It turned out to be quite a climb, made tougher by the rain and camps of Lizalfos that scattered the hillsides. Sure enough, many of them fired shock arrows, which Link had managed to avoid - the lizards didn't have very good aim - and he ended up collecting a fair number of arrows on his way up. By the time he arrived at Zora's domain, its giant blue bridges stretching out in front of him, night had fallen. He was soaked to the bone, cold and shivering, but made his way slowly through town nonetheless.

The Zora were certainly an interesting race. They gave him looks as he passed, giving him the impression that a Hylian hadn't visited in a long time. King Dorephan's abode was up at the top, in the middle of the town, and the giant Zora greeted him heartily. In fact, it became clear quite fast that King Dorephan knew exactly who he was.

"A Sheikah Slate? Now that I've gotten a good look at you, it's too clear who you are - Hylian Champion, Link! ...Don't tell me you have forgotten me?"

"I lost my memory," Link replied apologetically. The King let out a deep sigh.

"Wait, the Hylian Champion? _The_ Link?" Sidon had appeared then, staring at Link in surprise.

"We have met numerous times, I'll have you know," King Dorephan added then, peering down at Link, "I heard a terrible rumor that you had fallen in battle, but it appears you have recovered. Extraordinary."

"I was in a slumber of restoration," Link added.

"Come again? A slumber? Perhaps that's why you've lost your memory. But surely you remember my lovely daughter, Mipha?"

"I- no, not really," Link replied simply. He had seen a Zora in the one memory he'd recovered so far, but the connection to who she _was_ outside of just the name Mipha… was beyond him. Apparently she had been King Dorephan's daughter.

"You and Mipha were so close," the King sighed, shaking his head. "Young hero, please gaze upon the beauty of Zora's domain. Do you see that statue? Does gazing upon Mipha's immortalized form still not jog your memory?"

Link was becoming frustrated. _No, it still doesn't,_ he wanted to say, but instead he stayed quiet, trying to quell his increasing impatience. Why did he work so tirelessly to try and get Link to remember? Of course he wanted to remember - he would if he could! If simply looking at some statue would work, that'd be a different story!

"Father… I do not believe discussing my sister is helping matters at the moment. Link seems confused," Sidon observed, looking up towards the King. Link cast him a small, grateful look. The King jolted a bit, as if awoken from a dream.

"Yes. Yes, you are correct, Sidon. Link… I have no doubt in my mind that you have faced a great many trials. Still, I must ask you to hear my plea. Zora's domain is under threat of vanishing because of Divine Beast Vah Ruta. I shall do you the courtesy of speaking bluntly… we alone cannot stop the beast. Will you lend us your strength?"

"Yes," Link replied simply, hoping that the conversation would end, and he could sleep, and wake up somewhat dry before getting to work on whatever beast was making it rain so much. In truth, he had no idea what he was up against, but he knew he was exhausted in the moment.

The stingray Zora that had been quiet until now, standing beside King Dorephan's throne and giving Link dirty looks, suddenly spoke up.

"What! My liege, please do not speak so! To ask a Hylian for help… the very thought of it curls my fins. Have you forgotten already? We cannot trust these lowley Hylians! A hundred years ago, they abused the power of an ancient civilization and turned Hyrule into what it is today!"

The accusation took Link by surprise. So there was another viewpoint to the story.

"And that is not the least of it - it is their fault Lady Mipha was taken from us," he trailed off, looking clearly downtrodden now. King Dorephan listened intently, then turned to face Link once more, choosing not to address Muzu's words.

"Link, Divine Beast Vah Ruta has been spouting water mercilessly into the air. It has created increasingly heavy rains. For us Zora, water and air are as one, so you would not think it to be a problem… however, the rains have filled the eastern reservoir to nearly the point of flooding. If the reservoir bursts, as I'm sure it soon will, it threatens not just Zora's Domain, but also the areas downstream of us. There, Hylian lives are in danger as well."

A loud trumpeting cry and a rumble interrupted the King. He grimaced.

"Vah Ruta is crying out again… your Princess Zelda often studied the Divine Beasts. That is, before the Great Calamity. According to her research, the orbs on Ruta's shoulders are mechanisms that can control the water it generates. However, they require electricity to work. These orbs are clearly out of control because there is no electricity running through them."

"Seggin, who is quite shock resistant for a Zora, fired a shock arrow at one once. It slowed the water a bit," Sidon cut in, looking at Link intently, "Unfortunately, as an aquatic race, we are quite vulnerable to electricity… Perhaps because we could not safely strike it with enough electricity all at once, the water began flowing again. That is why I went in search of a Hylian to help us!" He finished, clenching a fist and flashing a bright smile at Link. He smiled nervously back.

"I'm sure you have figured this out by now, Link, but we need you to fire shock arrows at Ruta for us! I will help you in any way I can. Please, Hero, I beg of you."

"That's actually why I came here," he explained. "I have to board Ruta and appease it… from within."

He tried to sound confident, like he knew what he was doing. But he had no idea. He didn't even know what Ruta was. A ship of some sort?

"What!?" the king exclaimed, "Princess Zelda herself instructed you? So Princess Zelda… is still alive?"

"Yes, within Hyrule Castle," Link replied, happy to see how relieved King Dorephan looked.

"How nice for your princess to still be living," Muzu snapped then, and Link felt his words like a stab in the chest.

"We cannot alter the events that happened one hundred years ago," King Dorephan continued, ignoring Muzu, "but we may have a chance if we regain control of the divine beasts. Our meeting today was nothing short of destiny. Link, allow me to give you a gift as a show of faith."

The King reached somewhere beside him, and held out to Link, on his giant fin, a chestpiece. It was blue, slick, and with metal touches here and there.

"As long as you wear this, you will be able to climb waterfalls with ease."

"King Dorephan! Surely you do not wish to give this _outsider_ Zora armor! Countless generations of Zora princesses have gifted that armor to the one they have sworn to marry. Princess Mipha made that set herself… he may be a Champion, but he had no such relationship with Mipha! This is too much, my liege," Muzu stammered, "I do not understand it one bit." and he left, storming out of the royal quarters. Link watched him go, becoming more and more unsure of himself.

"Hm. That Muzu is not easily swayed once his mind is set. You must understand… he was in charge of educating my dear daughter, Mipha. Naturally, she means a lot to him, just as she means the world to us. Ever since we lost her to the Calamity, he has grown to despise Hylians. I hope you can forgive his rudeness."

Link was quiet. He hadn't failed just Zelda. The implications that his death had had on the entirety of Hyrule were becoming all too clear, and it was hard to wrap his mind around. He didn't feel like he wanted to understand it completely. It would be too much to bear.

"Father, I will try and speak with Muzu to get this worked out. We need those shock arrows for Vah Ruta," he said, a little frustrated, and then ran out to follow the stingray. King Dorephan sighed.

"Link, please follow him. I would like you to speak with Muzu. There is something you should be aware of, anyways."

And that was it. Link nodded respectfully to Dorephan, and still holding the Zora armor, ran down the steps to find Muzu and Sidon in deep discussion.

"Muzu-" he greeted him, trying to smile, but the Zora shot him a nasty glare.

"You came all the way here, but it was in vain. I have no desire to speak with you."

"I'm trying to help, whether you want it or not," Link argued, and the Zora looked taken aback. Sidon stepped between them.

"Muzu - listen well. There is something you must know. Link, who stands here before you… is the one my sister Mipha had feelings for."

Both Link and Muzu looked equally surprised, looking up at Sidon in shock.

"What?" Muzu exclaimed, "No! You cannot fool me with such a fanciful lie. Not this Zora! How could Lady Mipha possibly have feelings for a Hylian such as him? The facts are clear. He remembers nothing. Even when he looks upon Mipha's statue."

Link looked up at the statue again; he hadn't realised they'd been standing right in front of it. And suddenly, Mipha - the _real_ Mipha - came back to him. The red Zora with her bright hazel eyes that always caught Link off guard, her cherry lips, the way she would heal him, the way she asked him if they would spend more time together. She had had feelings for him. He knew it at the time. He knew he liked her, but - did he? Something else was in the way. The flickering flame of a teenage crush was there, somewhere, neglected. He clung to the memory, completely zoning out in the moment as he stared at Mipha's statue, finally relieved that he was able to remember someone.

"You're trembling like a newborn," Muzu's wheezy voice brought Link out of his daze. The knight stared at the statue. In his memory, she had been wearing a blue Champion's tunic, just like the one he was currently wearing.

"I… remember her," he said quietly, and Muzu let out a scoff.

"How convenient! You think I will believe that you remembered Mipha at just the right moment? Without any proof of her feelings for you, I will never believe it!"

"Link," Sidon said quietly behind Link's shoulder as Muzu turned away. "You should put on that armor. It should fit you perfectly. That should convince Muzu!"

Sure enough, as Link took the opportunity to change out of his Champion's tunic - it needed washing, anyways - and into his new Zora armor, it fit snug and comfy. When he came back to see Muzu, the Zora looked baffled. It seemed to do the trick in convincing him, but the Zora was clearly upset, and simply told Link and Sidon where they could find shock arrows; the top of Plyomus Mountain nearby, where a Lynel lived. Sidon looked visibly uncomfortable when Link asked him what a Lynel was.

"A fearsome beast," he said, shaking his head, "and that one fires volley after volley of shock arrows… us Zoras cannot go anywhere near. But that's not to say you would necessarily be any safer," Sidon added as a warning. "Link, I urge you - when you go, sneak around him and pick the arrows up off the ground. Do not attempt to fight him. I have no doubt you are a great warrior, but Lynels are a league of their own."

Link shrugged, wavering on his decision. He had to take Sidon's word for it.

"I'll be back to take it out when I'm stronger," he promised.

"Great! I have faith in you, as always," Sidon assured him with a flashy smile. "Now Link, get those shock arrows and meet me at the reservoir. We'll do this together!"

The Lynel was fearsome, as Sidon had mentioned. Link had to climb a series of waterfalls to reach the top of the mountain, where the centaur was pacing, occasionally roaring into the air. Thankfully, he had a pattern to his walk, and Link followed at a distance, plucking shock arrows out of trees and the grass as he went. Sure enough, there were tons of them, and once he had gathered around thirty, he parasailed off the mountain towards the eastern reservoir.

Sure enough, there Sidon was waiting, and there in the water was Vah Ruta. Link looked at it curiously - a giant elephant, still spouting water into the sky.

"Link - I'm going to swim close, with you on my back. Then when I push you up, shoot shock arrows at the orbs on Ruta's shoulders," Sidon explained. "Let's go!"

Sidon was big enough for Link to sit atop comfortably, but the ride was less than smooth. Vah Ruta clearly knew what they were trying to accomplish, and began shooting giant cubes of ice at them as they went, which Link had to shoot away with his arrows. When he finally got the final orb, the beast calmed, and Sidon shot Link up once more so he could grab onto the ramp that led to the entrance. He had barely gotten his grip when the elephant began to rise up onto its feet, and hurriedly he scrambled on, glancing back over his shoulder at Sidon; the shark waved him on, and Link looked up, swallowed, and headed inside.

The beast was a giant puzzle. A voice he recognized as Mipha's told him what he had to do; find the terminals and unlock them so you can get the main terminal working, and get the map so you can control it. It was an easy enough task, albeit a little time consuming, having to move the trunk of the elephant up and down to allow water to pour in. The elephant had spots of malice that were new to Link, but they seemed to gain power from a central eye that could be destroyed easily with arrows. By the time Link got to the main terminal, he was beginning to think this divine beast thing might not be so hard after all.

He pressed the Sheikah Slate to the stone, and the outpouring of malice that came immediately after caught him off guard. He staggered back, glancing behind him at the room to see a massive demon forming, spear in its hand and hatred etched into its very being. Mipha's voice warned him - this was the creature that stole her life a century ago. Link looked at it with disgust and guilt. He had no way of bringing Mipha back, but he could kill this _thing_ and free her spirit. He had to.

It was the toughest fight he'd had so far. The blight was quick, but it attacked slowly, and the shock arrows Link had leftover did wonders for him. He could feel his health depleting as the battle went on, but finally Link was successful; he'd used nearly all his arrows and swords, but the creature finally fell, disappearing into the water it had summoned in an effort to thwart Link's plans. It slowly faded away, and Mipha's spirit appeared then, standing before Link, shrouded in blue flame.

"Hello, Link. Because of your courage, my spirit is now free… and Ruta, as well," the smaller Zora explained, smiling at the knight. "Thank you. For I am now allowed by this freedom… to be with you once again."

Looking upon Mipha now, real and in front of him, gave Link shivers. He tried to stay composed.

"Mipha - I'm - I'm sorry-"

"Since I am now a spirit," she interrupted him as she approached, "my healing power would be wasted on me. So therefore, I would like you to have it. Please accept… Mipha's Grace."

An orb, not unlike the spirit orbs, flew towards him. When it entered his chest it filled him with a sense of safety he'd never felt before, and he wanted so badly to talk with Mipha, but she was focused on getting her words across.

"Yesterday, I was awash in a pool of tears… I had nearly given up hope and resigned myself to being trapped in here, as a spirit, for the rest of eternity. But now you're here. All this time, my hope was to see you once more. Promise me that you will not hesitate to call upon my power if you ever find yourself in need. Knowing that… will let my spirit rest in peace."

Link watched her carefully, knowing there was no use in him speaking now. She was still so far away and he wanted to get closer, to see her with more detail, but there was no use. He began to feel a tingling sensation, not unlike the one he felt when traveling using the Sheikah slate.

"I must go… Ruta and I have our roles to fulfill. We are both honored to be able to play the role of support…. We'll annihilate Ganon together."

Link smiled weakly through his slowly vanishing body, when Mipha's haunting soft voice continued to speak - _Save her, Link. Save Princess Zelda._


	19. Vah Rudania

**Thanks for the reviews, guys!**

 **To Luna who asked about translating it into French - absolutely you can, that would be amazing!**

 **Maybe one day when I'm finished learning German I can re-write this whole thing... maybe. :)**

 **Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Link hadn't lingered in Zora's domain after appeasing Vah Ruta. The beast, piloted by Mipha's spirit, had taken up a stance on the mountains and was firing some sort of red energy directly at Hyrule Castle; supposedly it was weakening Ganon's life force. As he ran along the cliffside towards the Akkala Region, Link looked at the castle - the light inside glowed faintly now and again.

 _I'm coming, Zelda._

One of the first things Link found in Akkala was an area he'd felt inexplicably drawn to - the Spring of Power. There, he found another memory, one of Zelda lamenting her inability to unlock her sealing power. As curious as Link was about Zelda, he also noticed himself in these memories - in the background, silent, holding the sword he assumed he had to find, and wearing his blue tunic. As the memory faded, Link crouched at the spring, clutching his head; why couldn't he at least remember _himself_?

When he tried to pray to the statue of Hylia for more health and stamina, she told him something different - to get a scale from the spirit Dinraal. When he talked to locals about this spirit, they informed him it was in fact a dragon, but it was hard to find, let alone steal a scale from. Still, he knew it had to be done, and kept it in the back of his mind as he left headed south for the Akkala Tower.

It was incredibly high-up, and surrounded by Guardians; these were the first live ones Link had seen that weren't stationary. What's worse, they were flying, with spotlights - he couldn't even sneak around at night. He'd have to climb straight up if he wanted to avoid them, or else risk them spotting him on the path. He could tell he wasn't yet equipped to take them out if one got its sights on him.

It took a while then, before Link made it to the top of Akkala tower; the Skywatchers and the malice surrounding the tower made it so. A dead Guardian sat a top the tower as well, and Link felt a lump in his throat just looking at it; alive, they were nearly unstoppable. They had almost completely succeeded in taking over Hyrule. It was a miracle, then, that some towns and villages were still standing today.

He peered west and saw the path he'd need to take to get up the volcano, and there was a stable there as well as a shrine he hadn't visited yet, so he jumped and parasailed down. The adrenaline rush he had first had when waking from his slumber was quickly disappearing. He was tired, bruised, his clothes were a mess generally and when he did sleep at night he passed out so fast, when he woke it felt like night had passed in five minutes. He tried not to think of this too much as he approached the ranch, landing softly in the grass nearby and waving a brief hello to the various individuals milling about the cooking pot.

When he had completed the shrine nearby, a magnesis puzzle, and began heading up the path, a voice called him back.

"Hey! Wait! You're- not going up there, are you?"

"Yeah," he replied simply, looking over his shoulder at the girl who had stopped him.

"Then you'll need some of my potions," she said with a knowing smile, pulling the bag off her back and opening it proudly in front of him. Vials clanked together, a strange black liquid inside, and Link looked at them warily before lifting his gaze slowly back to hers.

"They look bad, but they're important. It's fireproof elixir, so you can survive on the volcano. It's super hot up there, you'll burn to a crisp otherwise," she said matter-of-factly, and noticing Link's suspicious expression, furrowed her brow. "I'm not scamming you! I'll give you a deal."

Link finally gave in, purchasing a few of the elixirs, before heading up the path. It wasn't long before he came across his first obstacle; a guardian, on all legs, patrolling up and down the path. His hood blew back off his face as he watched it. It was morning, and he had just woken up, but he was already exhausted just thinking about fighting it; as it spotted him, he pulled his shield out, holding it carefully in front of him. Timing was critical.

The beeping, as always, filled Link with a sense of dread that he had not yet encountered anywhere else in Hyrule. There was some association with the Guardians that he couldn't shake, but perhaps it was the fear danger; death awaited him if he failed at any point in fighting them. A blue flash alerted him that the attack was coming, and he pushed forward with a yell, his shield bouncing the beam back at the Guardian. It sustained a massive amount of damage, but did not fall; clearly the ones with legs were much stronger than their stationary counterparts.

"Seriously?" Link said, exasperated as he ran at the beast, drawing his broadsword and slashing away at the rocky body of the beast. In the time it took to regain composure, and locate the offender - Link - he had already taken it down. Pieces of leg rolled down the hill he had just climbed, and as he sheathed his sword, the machine burst into nuts and bolts. As usual.

He stuffed them into his pack, knowing he had to return to Purah eventually, and continued climbing. Sure enough, it was getting hotter and hotter, and as he came closer to the lava he could feel his very self burning. Frantically he pulled out an elixir, drinking it and becoming dizzy for a moment as his body steeled itself against the oppressive heat. It was still hot, that was for sure - but at least he didn't feel like he was boiling from the inside anymore.

Climbing the Sheikah Tower took twice the effort, and Link hated feeling so sweaty, but shade or sun didn't matter anymore. Death Mountain was aptly named. From the top of the tower, he could see Hyrule Castle clear as day, swirling with malice; and when he turned, he was shocked to see what must have been Vah Rudania. The massive stone lizard was crawling its way around the top of the volcano, feet aflame, mouth opening now and again to let out a roaring croaking sound. How on earth would he manage to board that thing?

He parasailed as far as he could, enjoying at least the wind on his brow as he went, and then continued climbing. A man halfway up traded him a piece of fireproof armor for some fireproof lizards, and the relief it gave Link to wear was invaluable. It just happened to be the clunkiest, most awkward chest piece he'd ever worn, but there was nothing he could do about it. When he did finally make it, the Chief was happy to see him, but was clearly in pain and waiting for another Goron named Yunobo to bring him some medicine. Clearly, it was up to Link to go find him.

It took a while; and a couple more elixirs; before Link finally located the goron. He was trapped somehow in a mine, and none of Link's bombs or weapons would break through the crystallized rock, so he used the available canons - despite a mine worker's protests - to break Yunobo free. When they met, Link was shocked to see him wearing a blue Champion's tunic, just like his.

"Thanks for saving me, brother. I'm Yunobo! They call me… Yunobo. Makes sense, goro."

He seemed young, and a little shaky on his feet, but Yunobo was easy to get along with and the two of them headed back together to Goron City. He told Link all about the power he had received, being a descendent of Daruk, and it sounded a lot like the sort of power Mipha had given Link after being Vah Rudania. This guy was a Champion - sort of. Yunobo took off ahead after a little bit, rolling down the mountainside towards Eldin Bridge, where he and the chief would be firing at Rudania once more to slow it down - so Link had to meet with the chief first.

"I heard about how you saved Yunobo," Bludo said gruffly, "so here's a reward. Hylians need this kinda stuff, right?"

It was three fireproof elixirs, and Link accepted them gratefully.

"Well, time to go meet Yunobo at the cannons. I mean no disrespect to Daruk's legacy, but if we don't give Rudania a good whopping -"

"Daruk?" Link interrupted; he knew that name. Daruk was the Goron from his memories, but as to who Daruk really _was,_ it still eluded him.

"Ya really telling me you don't know about Daruk? The Goron Champion?"

"I mean, not - entirely," Link corrected himself with a frown.

"See that statue up there?" The chief asked, and Link turned to look at the sculpture. Sure enough, etched into the mountainside were a variety of Gorons; and at the top, the one that looked like Daruk. Link stared determinedly at it, and sure enough, something - some memory - came back to him. He slipped into it like a pool of water, taking in all it gave him. Daruk was strong, friendly, and he knew Death Mountain like no other. He really exemplified what it was to be Goron. He had believed in Link, calling him Little Guy, and congratulating him in becoming the Princess' appointed knight… that it was an important job. In his recollection, Link winced. A landslide had interrupted their conversation, one that Daruk managed to stop with his own power - something was bugging him, something about the mountain, and it was easy for Link to tell that the Goron had had his own premonitions about Calamity Ganon returning.

When he came back to, Bludo was looking at him like he had two heads.

"What's gotten into you? Hylians are really strange… Anyway, Yunobo is a direct descendent of Daruk, so he can use Daruk's Protection when we fire him at Rudania. It's the only way to chase that beast away. Well - enough outta me, time to- _oof_ -"

Link cringed when he heard the back of the chief crack. Bludo staggered a bit, holding his side with a large hand.

"Are you okay?"

"Just peachy," he muttered, "dumb travelers - no, I don't think I'm going anywhere today. Can you tell Yunobo I have to cancel? He should be up by the bridge," the chief grunted, and Link blinked at him in surprise. Cancel? This was what he came here for!

Still, he went ahead to the bridge, picking up the rest of his Fireproof armor from the store on the way. Despite what the Chief had said, Link figured that him and Yunobo could figure it out on their own. At first, he was unsure, but when he remembered how Link had managed to use the canon beforehand, he agreed.

"We need to lower Eldin Bridge first, goro. You're going to fire me at that thing!" Yunobo exclaimed, making a fist and smiling. When he noticed Link's reluctance, he laughed. "Don't worry! I have Daruk's Protection, it never lets me down. Let's do this!"

His enthusiasm was catching, so Link dropped a bomb in the canon and aimed it towards the bridge. When it detonaed, Yunobo went flying out and slammed into the bridge like a gong; it wavered, and for a moment Link wasn't sure it had worked, but a moment later it fell straight down and slammed into the rock on their side. Yunobo landed, shakily, back by the canon.

"Ooh… yeah, see that… when you put your heads together...It really is something else, innit?" Yunobo stammered, looking dizzy. Link laughed in spite of himself, and the two of them jogged across the bridge. A croaking groan from Vah Rudania distracted them; the lizard, perched on the side of the volcano, had clearly noticed their coming. His back opened, and little guardian sentries popped up, hovering along the path with red lights that reminded Link of the skywatchers.

"What happens if a sentry spots us?" Link asked, turning to Yunobo; the little hovering lights didn't appear to actually have any sort of weapons equipped.

"Oh, sentries are always a pain… if one spots us, Rudania will know, and it'll go nuts and cause an eruption. We can't be spotted," Yunobo fretted. "I always get spotted, and magma bombs come down one after another... if Boss were here, he'd swat them away like nothin', but I don't think you could do that… no offense, goro."

"Non taken," Link replied bluntly.

"You've got a better sense than I do, so whistle at me for when I can move forward or back. Maybe you can take out the sentries from above them if you can climb."

Link nodded in response, and they made their way up past the sentries - most, Link would climb above and then take out with boulders or bombs, and every little ways they ran into a canon that they used to fire at Rudania. Over time, the lizard crawled higher and higher up the volcano, and they followed him; finally, with a final canon blast, the Divine Beast fell into the lava pool at the top of Death Mountain. Link and Yunobo stood at the edge, watching it as it sat, legs submerged but body still above the plasma.

"That was so cool! You really put a licking on that thing, Link! Now's our big chance!"

Yunobo offered Link his fist, and Link bumped his back, before running to the edge of the crater and hopping off. The heat was absolutely killer, but with his armor he knew he would be safe, and before long he landed carefully on the stoney back of Vah Rudania.

When he held his Sheikah Slate up to the first terminal, Daruk's now-familiar voice greeted him.

" _Hey, little guy! Long time no see. I always knew you'd come back. Y'know, I never stopped believing in you. You're here to take control of ol' Rudania back from Ganon, eh? You're gonna need a map that shows the guts of this place. Now get a move on!"_

Hearing Daruk's voice instilled Link with a new sort of confidence he hadn't felt in a while, and it reminded him of something he hadn't thought about since waking up - his parents. Of course he had had family. But he had no recollection of them, or how he felt about them. It was just another thing that made him feel completely out of touch with this world… but Daruk was like a breath of fresh air. There was something comforting knowing that he really believed in him. Seeing Mipha had been lovely, but there was always something… inexplicably sad about the Zora. She reminded him of his own unexplainable heartache, though he figured that was for good reason.

Vah Rudania, when Link entered, was pitch black. He used a torch to hold up some of the blue flame provided for him, and then warily found his way around; there were some enemies of course, malice like in Vah Ruta, but the map was necessary. When he finally reached the terminal, he found that he could control Vah Rudania's body, and in particular, how it tilted. The tops of the beast opened, and finally he could see without having to use a torch; letting his eyes adjust, the knight began to work, moving between different parts of the lizard and taking control of each terminal, one by one.

When he finally found the main terminal, he hesitated, holding his Sheikah slate above the pedestal. Would there be another monster like in Vah Ruta? There had to have been something equally powerful, something that had taken down Daruk. Link took a slow breath. Time to avenge Yunobo's ancestor.

Sure enough, malice spit and fell out of the terminal like an infestation, swirling together to create a new blight, similar in appearance to the one that had plagued Ruta.

" _Watch yourself now! That ugly pain in the crag is Ganon's handiwork. ...Thing got the best of me a hundred years ago. Good luck little guy, go get 'im!"_

Link had little choice. There was nowhere to run here. The blight had a ball of flame in one hand, and a sword in the other; he came at Link immediately, and with a single swing, knocked the life out of the knight. He gasped, feeling the air leave his lungs - and suddenly, the feeling of cool foam enshrouded his body and Mipha's Grace had come into effect. He had died and come back, but the blood from his wound still splattered onto the stone, serving as a stark reminder of what was at stake. Link didn't have time to think. He had only had that one chance. For a moment, he couldn't believe he had already failed once - from _one_ hit. Clearly he needed more health.

He equipped some of his leftover shock arrows and aimed for the eye of the blight. It seemed to work, but it didn't fall all the way down; hitting it was tougher than he had expected. He'd have to dodge the sword slashes. Back flips seemed to work, and it gave him a window in which he could slash back at the beast; when it was nearly dead, it revitalized its sword with flames, and began creating a vacuum effect.

Link knew what to do immediately. He threw a bomb at it, and it sucked it in unknowingly; when it detonated, the beast fell, and Link was able to kill it with a few more hits. His breathing heavy, he watched, relieved, as the terminal reset for use and a heart container floated from the heavens - gratitude from Hylia.

Daruk's spirit appeared before him, as Mipha's had, when Link finally took control of the main terminal.

"Great work, little guy!"

Daruk's voice was no longer faraway. He approached Link, aflame in blue and as present as a spirit could be.

"I owe you big for this. Because of you, my spirit is finally free - can't thank you enough. I feel like I should apologize - I was doing all I could for Hyrule when that thing got the best of me. Sorry that me resting with the rubble caused such a mess."

"No," Link shook his head, "it's not your fault."

Daruk smiled gratefully at him. "The good news is, Rudania is back under our control. That means that our century-old Ganon beat-down plan can finally go into effect! I'm gonna take this down the mountain; I'll have a better shot at Ganon from there. And then, once you've made your way into Hyrule Castle, we're gonna light that thing up! But first… I wanna give you something. It's a special power of mine called Daruk's Protection. It's no good to me now that I'm a spirit… but it might be useful to you."

The red ball, akin to the one Mipha gave him and the Spirit Orbs, flew into Link's chest and imbued him with a new sense of confidence and security. The power Daruk had used to save them from the landslide, a hundred years ago, was now Link's to use.

"From this moment forth, the power of protection, from the depths of my soul, now lives inside you. Good luck, little guy," Daruk added, and Link looked down in surprise to see that he was beginning to disappear. "And give my regards to the Princess."

"Daruk!" he called, mid-teleport; "thank you!"

He didn't know if the Goron had heard him or not. That afternoon, Vah Rudania found its new perch lower down Death Mountain, and added a new beam of red across Hyrule's sky to match Ruta's. Link watched from Goron City with a sense of accomplishment. Two to go, but first… he had unfinished business. Dinraal could supposedly be found on the backside of Death Mountain, and Mt. Lanayru supposedly had its own shrine; Link had a feeling he had to get to those shrines before attempting to find his sword. It was time to take a little break from the Divine Beasts, and focus on strengthening himself, and finding more memories.


	20. Memories

Link backtracked after his time on Death Mountain. The environment was taking a toll on his body, and arriving back in the cool, seaside air of Hateno village was exactly what he needed. It didn't take long before he heard neighing, and Horse galloped up the hill to greet him, happy that Link had returned. The knight smiled, patting him on his neck and offering up some apples as an apology for being gone for so long.

"Thanks for waiting for me," he said softly, before hopping on and leading the horse out of the village, towards Mt. Lanayru. He'd heard legend of a spring at the top, the spring of Wisdom, and after seeing it in one of his memories he knew he had to return.

Horse couldn't go all the way up the mountain, so Link went alone for most of the way, tossing on his warm doublet about halfway up. It was certainly cold, but the brisk and nippy air was a welcome change from the volcano. When he finally got closer to the top, he was greeted by massive, looming pillars of ice. When he arrived, he was shocked to see Naydra - the great blue spirit of Wisdom - wrapped around the spring, body weak and held up only by the mountain itself, wreaked with malice and corruption. It looked mutilated, but on closer inspection it seemed like the malice had just spouted growths around the body, marked by giant eyeballs similar to those he found in the divine beast. Hylia's voice greeted him as he arrived.

 _You have done well to arrive at this spring. You who have overcome numerous trials and obtained the Spirit Orbs… The one you see before you is an attendant to the Spring of Wisdom. This is Naydra, the blue spirit of Lanayru. This servant of the Goddess has looked over the spirits of this land for ages, unknown to the world of man. However, the dreaded malice unleashed by Calamity Ganon has possessed its body and reduced it to this state. You who have received the Spirit Orbs… Free Naydra from this malice! Show what your power can achieve!_

At those words, the growth on Naydra's head opened, revealing itself to be one giant eyeball. Link wasted no time letting loose an arrow towards it, and it burst. The dragon let out a guttural roar, and began taking off. Link braced himself - the wind began to whip here and there, but updrafts had also been created, so he jumped and let himself be carried by paraglider up into the sky around Naydra as it began to circle the peak.

He landed carefully on an ice pillar, and began sending arrows down towards the growths on the spirit - one by one, they disappeared. Multiple times he had to jump and sail again, following it down the mountain, avoiding the talons that helped push the dragon mysteriously through the air. But finally, when he got the last growth, Naydra returned to sit at the spring, and Link followed. Hylia thanked him for his efforts, and instructed him to let one more arrow fly through the dragon. Reluctantly, he agreed, shooting behind the head. Naydra let out a cry, but took off, rejuvenated - a scale twinkled, shining as it fell through the air into the spring water. Immediately, Link took to it and picked it up. Hylia told him, then, to offer it at the shrine - surely then, this was expected for the Spring of Power as well?

When he placed the scale carefully in front of Hylia and dipped his head in prayer, it promptly disappeared and a wall opened behind the statue, deep in the mountain. A shrine was there, with nothing more than a blessing and reward.

He left then with Horse, heading back across Hyrule towards the Great Plateau and the Gerudo Highlands. It was a long journey, and he met several ranches along the way - Pikango was clearly traveling as well, as Link often ran into him and the painter was helpful in pointing out more than a few locations that had been depicted in the Sheikah Slate. As the knight visited each location, his head became more and more fuzzy - they were clearly not in chronological order, at least not the way he was visiting them.

One of the first he saw that day, near the Wetland Stable on his journey, was him and Zelda running through the woods, mud-soaked, rain-falling, panicked. It had been particularly hard to recollect, and Link collapsed on the dirt path immediately after, clutching at the ground as unexplainable tears began to overflow. Her father, the King, had died. The Champions, all trapped, and killed; they had known, at some point, that that had been their fate. Zelda had known, and she blamed herself. Clearly it had been a difficult matter to unlock her sealing power, but Link was still confused - had she not unlocked it, even if too late? She was at the castle in the very moment, had been there all this time, fighting to keep Ganon trapped within it. _How?_

Worse, she had trusted him. He found himself angry at his past self, as if it was a different person; how could he have let go of her? Why hadn't he held her tighter, offered any words of reassurance - at least, he couldn't see that he had in what little of his memory he was given back. His heart was confused, now, too. The princess was beautiful, and everyone seemed surprised that Link didn't remember her, since they were close… but no one mentioned anything of a relationship between the two. In fact, from what he had heard, it was all quite… professional. But the way Zelda had collapsed into his arms, come to him for comfort... the green in her eyes... no.

Link shook his head. That was enough. He stood up carefully, wiping away tears, and letting a smile escape him as Horse nudged under his arm reassuringly. He pat it back gratefully, and then they continued.

As he recollected more memories, he tried to make a timeline in his head, but it was hard. Somehow, he was able to relive them over and over again in the Sheikah Slate, and after he had about five or six, began thinking that the pictures presented in the Sheikah Slate were, indeed, in order. It was just his visiting them that wasn't. He had a particularly productive day; at least two more Sheikah Towers, and several more memories. It hadn't been without its fair share of scares, however; making a massive circle around Hyrule Castle was time-consuming, and the swirling mass of evil that enshrouded the castle made Link wonder how on earth he'd ever actually find his way in.

Link remembered seeing a massive lake from the Great Plateau tower, and decided to explore that region before going to Gerudo. Faron ended up being bigger than he'd imagined, and in the morning as he rode Horse across the bridge on Lake Hylia, he was shocked to see a massive creature emerge from the water.

 _Farosh._

The great dragon crackled with electricity, and as it rose nonchalantly above Link, it began to circle the lake. Immediately, Link had Horse buck him off - he rose in the air easily from the updrafts, but found himself having to quickly dodge the electric charges that the dragon was giving off. It seemed unperturbed by him being so close, and Link went ahead and fired at the dragon's side while he was over the bridge. His aim rang true, and a scale parted from Farosh's body, falling to land in the center of the bridge, among a group of Lizalfos. The dragon left then, soaring far up into the sky where Link would never hope to reach, and the knight offered his thanks before continuing along with Horse.

The Lizalfos were an easy fight. The tower at the edge of the lake was a long climb, but offered Link a good view, and the map had a spot that looked eerily similar; it had to have been the Spring of Courage, the last of the three to visit. Of course, he'd yet to take a scale to the Spring of Power, so that would have to come last. It was a fight to get to the Spring, through the skeleton of an ancient beast and Lizalfos that fired shock arrows from atop high pillars. Horse had stayed behind at the ranch, and finally when Link arrived in the spring and offered up Farosh's scale, he received another blessing. As he prayed to Hylia there, offering up more spirit orbs from shrines he had completed along the way, he felt his spirit toughen. Climbing had become more easier and natural, running for great periods of time, and his general pain threshold had also increased.

As he chatted with locals at the Highland stable, someone mentioned a place called Lurelin Village, and Link set off for it the next morning. A beach town sounded like a well-needed break, and he took the time to explore on his way. The jungle was thick, and filled with the sounds of various insects and other animals; what Link hadn't expected to hear was an unfamiliar type of music. But it was definitely music, so he left Horse on the path, equipped his zora armor, and swam up a number of waterfalls in an attempt to find the source. As he went, he found himself in the midst of a thunderstorm - one that didn't seem to want to go away anytime soon.

It sounded like a waltz, and got louder and louder as Link approached - finally, something bright blue stuck out in the foliage, and Link spotted what could only be described as a tall bird, taller than link. He stood on the edge of the plateau, playing an accordion, and rather entranced in his music. Link approached from the side, hoping not to surprise him. Red eyes flicked sideways to see him, and Link paused, hoping he hadn't interrupted - the bird looked uninterested, but suddenly his eyes widened in surprise and the music halted altogether.

"S-sorry," Link stammered, "I didn't mean to interrupt-"

"That, there, on your hip!" the bird exclaimed, but then his expression quickly fell, "no, I'm sorry - it's nothing. I didn't mean to pry."

Link looked at him warily, wondering if he had recognized the Sheikah slate, and then trying to quell his shock that the 'bird' had just spoken to him.

"Are you… a bird?"

"Have you never met a Rito before?" the bird answered, and Link gasped at the word - Rito! Of course! Revali, the Champion from one of his memories, had been a Rito as well; not just a bird.

"I'm sorry, I- yes, of course," Link replied with a nervous laugh. The Rito, thankfully, did not seem offended.

"My name is Kass," he introduced himself, "As a bard, I spend my days traveling this land in search of ancient songs. Have you heard of the ancient songs of Hyrule?"

"No," Link replied honestly, shuffling sideways as the palm fronds above him began to send large droplets of water flying down at them.

"They are songs that sing praise of a hero who beat back Calamity in an age past. One of the more famous among them recounts the events of ten thousand years ago," Kass explained, and Link felt his shoulders droop. Right. The hero, ten thousand years ago, that hadn't failed.

"I happen to know a song about this area - would you like to hear it?"

"Sure," Link replied with a shrug, and the bard began to move his accordion back and forth, in a mysterious sounding tune. The Rito's sing-song voice, surprisingly deep, accompanied it well.

 _When a lost hero calls down lightning from the sky, the monk responds from a giant mound on high._

"There's a puzzle in this somewhere, but for all I know it could apply to a great many things. Anyway - may the light shine ever in your path," Kass added, casting Link a knowing smile and returning to playing the previous song. Link scratched his head, going over the lyrics - calling lightning down, a mound on high.

It was storming for sure, and as his blue eyes scanned through the rain, he did see a large mound. It was shaped like a shrine, though covered in moss and vines. He clambered to the top of it, and pulled out an iron sword - was he supposed to sacrifice himself, or something? It began to crackle with electricity, and Link let out a gasp before jumping, tumbling down the side of the mound as lightning struck at his sword. Everything happened at once then, with the shrine rising from the ground, vines snapping off and whipping through the air. Light shone through the stone, and sure enough, it was unmistakably a shrine. Link's iron sword was nowhere to be seen now, so he figured it lost, and went ahead into the shrine before continuing on to Lurelin Village. The sun had been set for a few hours when he arrived, but the inn still welcomed him, and he slept to the sound of waves crashing against shore.

When he awoke, he saw Lurelin Village for what it actually was; a gorgeous, seaside village. There wasn't much there, but there didn't need to be, and Link spent much of his morning cooking and prepping for his eventual trip to Gerudo Desert. He'd heard it was rather unforgiving to horses, so he left Horse in Lurelin Village to enjoy the sun while he teleported to the Great Plateau tower.

It was a long journey through the wastelands to get to the edge of the desert. Link had found a wild horse to use, and when he finally reached the Gerudo Canyon Stable, registered it there (he named this one _Blue_ as it was blue), and then set out on foot into the sandy desert. Sure enough, the heat was unbearable, and Link found himself hurriedly drinking a cooling elixir as soon as he stepped foot into the sand. It also took longer to walk anywhere, and by the time he got to Kara Kara, a small but busy oasis, all he could do was collapse in the shade. He stared at it in disbelief - he was only halfway to Gerudo Town - but at least he could spend some time cooling down in the shade here before he left.

When he stood again to look out at the bazaar, he realised he was in the spot of yet another memory. It came back to him hurriedly - the image of Zelda being attacked by Yiga members, who he had seen now multiple times throughout his journey. He wanted to yell out, to run in, but there he was after all; he'd protected her with ease, immediate and unforgiving to the Yiga, human though they were. And though Link had not seen her face at the time, now he was able to see the expression the princess had upon her rescue - a complete change of heart from some of the previous memories. She was surprised that he had done something so rash and selfless, that was easy to see. But there was something stronger there.

Link curled up in the shade at the bazaar and found himself rewatching some of the memories, in particular one where she tried to get him to eat a hot-footed frog. Her enthusiasm for such un-princesslike things was endearing even in his fuzzy recollections, and the sight of her so close with such green eyes was one that the knight desperately tried to attach emotions to. But still, they were faraway and unreachable. Even so, in his memories so far, he found himself… liking her more and more. Had he loved her then? Even if he did, he didn't remember, and if he hadn't he found himself asking _why not?_ Even in his few memories so far, it was clear that Zelda had loved Hyrule with all her heart, and had always tried her best… but there were still blank spots in Sheikah Slate. Maybe seeing more would bring a new awareness to who she was… and who he was. The "Link" in his memories still felt like a different person.

When he felt aptly cooled down, Link stood, stretching his arms above him, and looked out at the sandstorm a little ways away. He hadn't gotten a good look at it before, but the angle was better now, and he was shocked to see a giant figure within it. The shadow of a behemoth, walking disjointedly through the desert, came into view. Link's jaw dropped as he stared at it, lightning flashing around the body ominously as it stepped, two legs at a time, forwards and through the storm. Despite the heat, Link felt shivers, and knew immediately that it was the Divine Beast of this region. It was the first to properly frighten him though, but before Link began his trek to Gerudo Town, he spoke more with some of the vendors - and discovered an obstacle lay in his way. No voe, or men, were allowed into Gerudo Town. And yet he had to speak with their leader Riju.

 _Great._


	21. Vah Naboris

From chatter amidst the other Hylian men in the bazaar, it seemed that the only way into town was by using a disguise, and there was someone who had managed to make it work, but Link was sure he had talked to everyone around the bazaar. He clambered to the top of the stone pillar, hoping to get a better viewpoint - and up there, was greeted by a someone in purple Gerudo clothing, though they didn't look particularly Gerudo…

"Oh my, what a lovely young man you are. Do you need something from me?" they asked, and Link looked wary before explaining his situation. He had to get in.

"I need to get into Gerudo Town, and I heard about a man sneaking in somehow," Link mentioned.

"What's that? You heard about a man sneaking into Gerudo Town? I don't know anything about him… sorry I couldn't be of more help," they replied, and Link squinted at their face, unsure if they - she - he? Was just playing him.

"You're making my cheeks red, staring at me like that," they replied, and Link laughed nervously in response.

"You're beautiful," he replied simply, wondering if flattery would do the trick.

"Oh, you sure know what to say! In fact, I bet these clothes would look quite fetching on you. I'd have to charge you of course, but I'm sure people would see you completely differently if you wore them!"

Link blinked. Did they know what he was trying to do, and just weren't admitting it?

"What do you say? Six hundred rupees?"

A moment later, and Link - at request of the stranger - had quickly changed into his new clothes. His new, surprisingly silky, somewhat see-through, women's clothing. They fit like a charm, despite being made for a completely different body type, but Link was skinny enough that it seemed to do the trick. The pants were… airy, to say the least.

Link offered a quick thank-you to the mystery person and then parasailed down towards Gerudo Town. He completed the shrine outside first, and then walked hesitantly through the town gates - the guards gave him a bit of a look, but otherwise let him pass, and he let out a sigh of relief as he moved in. Still, there were other Gerudo all over, and he didn't feel comfortable trying on any other clothes as he went. Riju's quarters were clearly up ahead, so Link made his way up the steps, unsure what to expect.

When he got to the royal room, his eyes immediately landed on the throne, but it took him a moment to actually spot Riju. She was about half the height of most Gerudo, but clearly the leader, wearing a crown and resting casually on the chair that seemed about three times too big for her. But if Link knew the Gerudo, he knew she'd grow into it.

"Yet another traveller," she said casually, resting her chin on her hand propped against the chair. "How did you get in here? It seems you have something rather interesting there."

Her eyes narrowed, looking at his hip, and he knew she was seeing the Sheikah Slate. He approached, walking along red carpet and pillars; the entire room was open air, and the draft made it comfortably airy inside. The guard next to Riju's throne suddenly stood taller, slamming her sheathed sword against the ground.

"You stand before Lady Riju, chief of the Gerudo! Declare your business, but come no closer!"

Link was taken aback, but it did the trick - he stopped in his tracks.

"Hold on, Buliara," Riju interrupted, "this one doesn't seem like an ordinary traveler. What is your name?"

"Link," he replied quickly, realising a moment later he hadn't tried to edit his voice at all. Shit. A knowing smile crept across Riju's lips, but Buliara hadn't noticed.

"And what is it you came all the way here to tell me, Link?"

"I can calm Naboris," he replied quickly. "I've already appeased two of the four divine beasts."

Buliara immediately protested, and Link understood somewhat - how could he hope to calm the beasts? They could only be controlled by Champions, strong warriors, who had all died a century ago. But Riju turned to her, and the two of them conversed momentarily in whispers; all the while casting sideways glances at Link. He waited.

"What of the sword?"

"The device on his hip-"

"There was no Hylian vai in the Champions- a voe!"

"A voe in Gerudo is a crime. But a voe who is a Champion…"

Riju finally made up her mind, much to the disdain of Buliara.

"We would never mistreat a friend of Lady Urbosa's. And if you're here to help us with Naboris, we are allies."

"How can we trust him? Perhaps if he were to recover your stolen Thunder Helm," Buliara suggested, grinning at Link in a way that told him it would be no easy task. He looked back at Riju. The look on her face told him that it was settled.

"You'd never be able to approach Naboris without the heirloom, anyways," Riju added, resting her chin on her hand. "You know… I take heart in having a visitor as rare as you. Lady Urbosa must be looking out for us."

Urbosa was the Gerudo Champion Link remembered from one of his memories - the first one he'd received - but the name and face still didn't click with any emotions or feelings. He couldn't put his finger still on who she really was.

The Gerudo military captain told him where to go. Turned out the Yiga were the ones who had stolen the thunder helm; it was time to get revenge for them terrorizing Zelda a century ago. The only issue is that they were human, legitimately human, not soulless monsters… killing them always hurt, at least a little. But Link had something more important now. He had someone he had to protect.

The trip to the Yiga Clan hideout was long and arduous, but he did find another Sheikah Tower along the way; and he met with Kass again, the traveling Rito bard, at the top. It was hard to miss his accordion music, and Link found himself feeling relieved and cheery when he heard the tunes echoing through the canyon.

"I know a song about this place, would you like to hear it?"

Another shrine lifted from the ground when Link solved Kass's puzzle. By the time he'd completed that, it was past midday, and he hurried towards the hideout before night fell. The desert was freezing at night, and he wasn't sure whether he preferred too hot or too cold at this point. On the plus side, the Yiga - for being such a stealthy bunch - made their headquarters easily found. Statues and banners flew all throughout the cavern where they hid, and Link made his way through unobstructed, until a room with banners and a lit torch acted as a dead end.

Until he burned the banners. Was it supposed to be this easy?

There were tons of bananas nearby, and by now Link had noticed that in fact, all the Yiga he'd encountered kept bananas with them. They loved them so much that he was able to distract them to sneak through their base. It was tidy at least, and when he finally found his way to the end, a massive hole in the mountain where their leader awaited him, Link felt like it had taken altogether no effort at all. But Naboris, he knew, would not be this easy.

Something went poof! In front of him and Link turned to see a Yiga - albeit one with a beer belly - appear before him. It had to be the leader Kohga, the one he kept hearing about, but he seemed… like he'd gotten old, somehow. Like the shadow of a man who was once in his prime. Link winced. He hadn't had to kill anyone yet. He didn't feel like needing to do it now.

The ninja groaned, stretching his shoulders and looking at Link with what he assumed was an accusatory expression under his upside-down Sheikah mask.

"Who the heck are you? And what are you doing in my napping spot?"

"I'm here for the Thunder Helm you stole from the Gerudo," Link replied, "we don't need to fight."

"Wait a minute!" he interrupted, staring unmoving at Link. "Is that - a Sheikah Slate? Yeah! It's you! You're that Link guy I've been looking for!"

The yiga lord began to laugh, throwing his head back.

"What luck! My scouts are out there looking high and low for you, but you just wander into my hideout! Oh- excuse me," he said suddenly folding his arms, "I haven't introduced myself yet. I am the leader of the Yiga Clan! The strong! The burly! The one, the only - Master Kohga!"

"...cool," Link said.

Master Kohga wielded some sort of telekinesis and tried to throw metal balls at Link, but an arrow to the face tended to distract him enough to be hit with his own weapons. Not only that, but he didn't learn; the ninja only continued trying larger and larger weapons until finally one of them was too big and rolled him over, pushing him into the giant hole behind him. A yell erupted but faded as he fell, however far. The blonde winced. At least he hadn't had to finish the job.

Link had been antsy lately in completing his tasks. The shrines had made him more powerful, more enduring, than he felt he ever could have been a century ago, but really, it was hard to tell. Nonetheless, he hurried back to Gerudo Town, nearly forgetting to change into his vai clothing before he walked through the gates, and presented the thunder helm to Riju. She had been waiting for him in the back, overlooking the desert that sat behind the city.

"I am, as you have no doubt noticed, still but a child. The people look at me with nothing but warmth in their eyes, but even this brings me some pain, I must admit… I've tried so hard to be worthy of their love, to be a worthy chief, and to prove it to myself, too. When my family heirloom was stolen, I felt as though a shadow had fallen over me. Yes, your arrival in the midst of all this must be the work of Lady Urbosa," Riju decided, and Link returned the smile she cast him.

She turned then, slipping the helmet on her head carefully, but it was somewhat too big and she had to hold it to keep it from tilting when she looked back at Link. It was a bizarre looking helmet, brassy gold with six glass "eyes" that glowed turquoise.

"How do I look?" Riju asked, and Link was about to tell her but the sight of the helm had struck a chord. He stared at the helmet, and felt the now-familiar feeling of a memory resurfacing; Urbosa and Zelda, atop Vah Naboris. Zelda was asleep, resting on Urbosa, and Link felt a pang in his heart as he remembered fully who the Gerudo Champion had been. Protective, motherly, but more than anything, a good friend. She knew Link better than he knew himself sometimes, and she knew Zelda, too - it was evident from what she had said to him that night. The Link a hundred years ago had obviously been undergoing some sort of emotional turmoil. Zelda had been struggling to unlock her sealing power, this he remembered from a couple of the memories he had unlocked already, but the notion that he made it all the worse with the 'sword' on his back… of course. The sword that seals the darkness. So Link had already succeeded, as a Champion, in finding his weapon, but Zelda had not.

"What's wrong?" Riju asked, looking confused, but the girl decided to move past it. "Anyways, what matters now is - how is it? Does it look alright?"

"It's a bit big," Link admitted, and Riju sighed in response, the helm tilting a little bit again before she readjusted it.

"You don't say," she mumbled. "Well, Link, as chief, and as a Gerudo, I must find some way to stop Vah Naboris before it threatens my people. Will you help me?"

"Of course," he replied urgently.

"Who would have thought that just before such a momentous battle, hearing a simple, confident pledge of support from you would be just what I need?" Riju laughed. "I'll head out now. Meet me at the lookout post south of town, and bring a sand seal."

The sandstorm that surrounded Naboris filled Link's stomach with dread. It was the first thing that had really done so since he returned. The swirls of malice surrounding the castle were scary, sure, but Link's feelings towards Ganon were more bitter and angry than fearful. Even Rudania, sinking in lava, had been more accessible than this. The poor visibility and jerking, unpredictable movements of the camel, with it's massive stature and heavy feet, caught Link a little bit off guard.

Riju awaited him at the lookout like she said. He rented a sand seal from the vendors, and with a nod, they set off; Riju warned him to stay close, as her lightning helm would only protect the area near her. Link was to fire bomb arrows at the beasts' feet, and thankfully, they were big targets. The two of them surfed with their seals, underfoot of the camel, which knew they were there and began firing supercharged bolts of lightning at them. Electricity crackled over the protective seal the thunder helm granted them, and Link fired bomb after bomb while balancing on the shield dragged by the sand seal.

When each of the legs finally lost their electricity, the beast let out a cry. It's legs halted, and it fell into the sand on its knees, bowed downwards. Link's seal slid to a stop behind Riju, and he ran to catch up with her. She took the helm off her head, and shook out her long red braid.

"Unfortunately, I cannot appease Naboris on my own," she said, looking to him with trust in her eyes, "so this task falls to you."

He broke into a run, looking back for just a moment to nod assuredly to Riju, and headed straight for the camel. As soon as he set foot on a ramp leading up to the entrance, it shook, and began to lift; Link fell, grasping onto the stone for stability as the beast returned to full height and began walking again. Looks like it would be doing the rounds while he tried to appease it. The first pedestal was in front of him a little ways, and Link was surprised to see that unlike the other beasts, this one was not entirely indoors; in fact the platform he was standing on was very open, with no rails or walls to stop him from falling to the sand below if he missed a step.

"Well, well, well - you sure do know how to keep a woman waiting," Urbosa's voice greeted him, faraway but close. Link smiled.

"Sorry," he replied, though he wasn't sure if she could hear him.

"I can't wait to see you take Naboris back from Ganon! But one thing at a time- you'll need a map to find your way around."

Of course. Just like the others. As Link found his way into the belly of the beast, literally, he realised immediately what would have to be done; everything could spin. The map confirmed this when he received it, and with a pledge of support from Urbosa - you're ready for this! - Link pushed forward.

It took longer than Rudania and Ruta put together, at least a couple hours of running around, spinning the map, and grappling onto ledges. Naboris was a living puzzle, and it was a test of balance and opportunism as Link attempted to find each terminal. When he finally found himself at the last one, he was reminded suddenly of the battle to come. Judging by the beast itself - and the strength it would take for anything to defeat Urbosa - this blight in particular would not be fun.

As the beast formed itself with a shriek in the belly of Naboris, Link noticed first thing that it had a shield. That was unique. At least it didn't have a sword as big as Fireblight's, but the electricity that crackled around it told Link it had its own element at play. He readied his sword.

The shield it held, thankfully, broke fast as Link hammered away at it. The blight was faster than the others he had faced, but its movements were predictable, so Link was able to dodge and he finally felt like he was making some good headway, the beast screeched; it was bringing out the big guns in form of lightning rods, but Link hadn't realised it at first. The metal fell around Link, and he focused on dodging it; he didn't realise that electricity would be coursing through it a moment later, and when it struck him, his entire body lit up. Sword and shield clattered to the ground, his heart felt like it had stopped and started again, and he was thrown to the inner wall of Naboris' belly like a ragdoll before rolling back down to the bottom.

He groaned, and had barely gotten to his feet when more metal fell around him. Desperately, he threw himself out of the way, crawling towards his sword and shield and trying to ignore the electric burns that now decorated his right shoulder. It seared, but there was no time to eat or drink anything; the blight had flown towards him again, and the knight barely moved out of the way in time to counter with more hits from his sword.

Again the metal fell and again Link barely dodged it. How was he supposed to counter that? Finally he made it back up onto the platforms so he would be on equal footing with the beast, and used magnesis to move one of the rods away. A second later it clicked. Maybe the blight couldn't control the electricity once it was fired… maybe.

The next time the rods fell, Link dodged, but grabbed one of the rods using magnesis and pushed it midair towards the blight. When the lightning coursed through it predictably, it hit the blight as well, knocking him downwards. Link took the opportunity to jump, and finished him off with a stab to the chest. Fluid and malice escaped into thin air, sinking around Link's feet until there was no trace it had ever been there. He let out a sigh of relief, grimaced at the pain in his shoulder, and dug out a couple omelettes to ease the pain. It worked, but when he looked back at his arm, the scars were still there, like branches of a tree spreading out from his collarbone.

The main terminal sat waiting for him, and as Link pressed his Sheikah slate to it, it glowed blue. Footsteps distracted him then, and he turned to see Urbosa walking down the steps into Naboris, arms folded and a smile on her face.

"I knew you wouldn't let us down, Link. Thanks to your valor and skill, my soul is free, and Naboris is ours once again. Which means that finally, we can complete what we started years ago. We Gerudo have no tolerance for unfinished business," she reminded him, and Link grinned back at her.

"I've waited so long for the moment to see you finally rush Hyrule Castle… as well as for the moment when I incinerate Ganon into a pile of ash. Which reminds me, I wanted to give you a little something… please accept this gift, which has come to be known as Urbosa's Fury. It will no doubt be of use to you."

Link had nearly forgotten about the gifts from Daruk and Mipha. Urbosa's Fury invoked a new sort of power, a tingling sensation that coursed through his veins, and when he snapped his fingers the energy released in the form of lightning around him. An offensive ability. Nice.

"Both you and the princess… I know you have suffered much regarding what happened to us Champions. But this had to happen. No one need carry blame. So please, make it clear so she understands that? Tell her to shed any worries. And let her know… I couldn't be more proud of her," Urbosa added, and Link felt his heart aching again. Her. The Zelda he didn't remember. He felt envious of Urbosa now, that she remembered who she was, who Zelda was. But Link pushed his feelings aside. He would get there, eventually.

"You take good care of the princess," Urbosa said, as Link began to feel himself disappearing. "Oh, and also… take good care of Hyrule," she added with a wink. This caught Link off guard, but he had no time to ask why or say thank-you or anything at all, really; he would save Hyrule, but what responsibility did he have after that to look after it? Didn't that fall simply to Zelda?

Clearly there was more that he didn't know, or hadn't realised yet. Once again he knew he had to find the other memories. Surely there would be some on the way to Rito Village, where the last Divine Beast was waiting for him… and then there would be only one thing left. He was nearly there.


	22. Vah Medoh

There was one divine beast left. Link opted for a route through the highlands rather than going back onto the path, though he regretted it somewhat. It was an arduous climb and the cold air chilled him to his bones. But for Link, there was something more than just avoiding the path. It would have been too easy, and more and more he felt undeserving of anything easy. A soft bed, a hot meal… in the last stretch of his journey, sleep did not come easy. It felt like he was doing nothing but wasting time if he wasn't actively on his way to Rito Village or fighting Ganon. He had one beast left, and only a couple memories. As much as he wanted to take down the beast, the memories held a heavier place in his heart. He knew there was a chance he would remember everything if he retrieved all of them. It felt selfish compared to his quest for Vah Medoh. But it was a quest that Zelda had left for him, after all.

A memory he retrieved on his way through the ruins caught him off guard. Zelda had been upset at him following her - she snapped at him. Even looking back on it hurt him. He could see the pain in his own eyes, the confusion as to why she'd say such a thing… and Urbosa's words came back to him. He reminded her of her own failures. Link stopped at a nearby pond to splash his face out with water, taking the time to regain his thoughts in other memories, they'd seemed so much closer. The thought of how all this fit together was still puzzling him, but he had to push past it. Rito Village was still a ways away.

He found Kass on the way again, and realised he had done nearly all of the ancient songs. One remaining was the Blood Moon, and it sounded less than pleasant, but something about the Rito bard made Link want to help him. He promised he would return if a Blood Moon came, and then continued on his way.

It was the Tabantha stable where he ran into Pikango again, and when the old man saw the last picture Link had to show him, he gave him bad news.

"That… is within Hyrule Castle itself," he explained, scratching his head and nodding. "The west wing."

"Shit," Link breathed. A couple of the memories now had required him getting closer to the castle, and somewhere deep down, he knew this one would be bringing him into the castle before he wanted to go. But he had no choice. He would go to the castle before appeasing Vah Medoh. Pikango warned him of the dangers, which Link knew far too well - guardians! Skywatchers! Monsters! - but it meant nothing anymore. He felt emptier with each passing day. Part of him was worried that if he didn't get all of his memories back, he'd disappear into nothing; and the momentum driving him to fight Ganon, despite his success with the beasts, was weakening. _I have to keep moving._

He came at the castle from the west. Already he could see the bridge where he assumed the memory was, and knowing this was the last one drove him to swim harder, climb faster; but stealth was key here. Skywatchers were still a tough battle. With his sheikah armor equipped, Link scaled the walls - he could see a glowing light where the memory was, but a skywatcher whirred overhead, so the knight quickly ducked out of the way. Unknowingly, the room he dove into had part of the floor taken out, and he toppled down a floor, landing in a dusty pile of books.

Coughing, he stood slowly, surprised to see that the room he was in was, unmistakeably, a Princess's room. A Silent Princess sat in a bell jar, well preserved in the light still shining through the window, and below it, a desk with a journal splayed open. It was far too inviting, and Link peered over the top of the pages, brushing off desk. His blue eyes widened. _Zelda's diary._

Flipping to the beginning, Link quickly moved through the pages. She talked of the Champions; his brow furrowed when she referred to Link only as " _HIM"_ in accusatory text. The knighting ceremony he remembered as a memory he had already retrieved. Then, more honest entries, one that wrote about how he must despise her for being unable to retrieve her power. Link's jaw dropped as he read. No, of course not, but… then again, he had yet to even know himself. She wrote further of how she had been cold to him, and his saving her from the Yiga. Link slumped into the chair at the desk, finding himself laughing at " _he's quite a glutton."_ The rest had him reading in solemn silence. Everything fit with his memories, and at the end, he vividly recalled the first memory he had received; coming back from the Spring of Wisdom, which had proved fruitless, and Ganon returning all at once. And yet… Zelda was here, somewhere, in this castle… but he couldn't fight yet. Not without Vah Medoh and the sword.

Link clambered back up to the top floor of the tower, waiting patiently for the Skywatcher to pass. As it did, he jumped out, and took a good look at the bridge. The memory that came back to him was one that Zelda had described herself in the diary; a scolding from her father. She was so interested in the Sheikah technology, she _knew_ it was important, and yet he forbade her from having anything to do with them… and Link, as she was lectured, could do nothing but sit and listen. But even from this standpoint, watching from afar, he could feel the burning in his chest, the lump in his throat. Was it as clear that day to Rhoam how much Link wanted to speak out? Did he reassure her after, or were they really… nothing like that?

Questions accosted him as he left the castle, and it wasn't until he reached the outer shore that he realised he had yet to remember who he was, even with all the memories returned. Link brought out the Sheikah Slate, counting each one of the pictures to the end - twelve. And here he was, still a blank slate.

Bitter, he made a mental note to return to Kakariko after appeasing Medoh. Impa was the one to see, and perhaps she would know where his sword was, too. From word of mouth, he knew it was in a forest, but… there were too many forests in Hyrule to count. He didn't have time to go on a scavenger hunt for it. Link clambered up the slope as night fell, and turned to look back at Hyrule Castle; the red of the moon shone behind it as it rose in the sky. _Kass._

Link hurried back to strange mushroom trees where Kass had evidently made base. The pedestal which he was sure he had to stand on was glowing in the light of the moon as it reached its zenith, and Link hurriedly removed his armor, standing awkwardly - and a bit chilly - atop the stone, cold and soft beneath his bare feet. He waited only a moment before the shrine reacted, shaking and rumbling as it lifted from the ground. Kass flew down to greet him.

"Fantastic! Link… I hope to see you in Rito Village," Kass said to him with a smile, as Link was halfway through putting on his pants. He smiled sheepishly back at the bard, but Kass didn't seem to find issue with it. "I knew you could do it!"

Rito Village was breezy and welcoming when Link arrived. The cool air nipped at his cheeks, but Link welcomed it after being in Gerudo and Death Mountain; this was his type of weather. He headed up the wooden steps, anxious to meet their chief, though it proved to be quite a climb just to get to him. Vah Medoh circled above, an ominous site and so high up that Link had to wonder how he'd even get up there in the first place… maybe a fire and an updraft?

The chief of the village - did the Rito call it a chief? - cut straight to the chase.

"What's that on your hip? Could it be the Sheikah Slate? Ah, forgive me - I am Kaneli, the elder of Rito Village."

 _Elder. Right._

"It is a Sheikah Slate, yes," Link replied. "I'm Link."

"Ah! Then you are a Champion such as Master Revali, one of the few able to board Vah Medoh. Or perhaps… a descendent… either way, I have a request of you. How should I put this… I would like you to deal with Divine Beast Vah Medoh."

"That's why I'm here."

"A daunting task, to be sure, but as you have Champion blood- wait- what?" the owl peered at Link curiously, and then his great eyes widened in happy surprise. "Did you say that's why you've come?"

Link only nodded in response.

"Teba and Harth tried to approach Medoh, but it did not end well. Harth was injured, and while Teba escaped unharmed, I'm afraid he now plans to face Medoh alone… Please, find him. Together, you may stand a chance against Vah Medoh."

His bluntness was refreshing, and Link set off chatting with the residents of Rito Village. He was pointed the way of a female Rito named Saki, who turned out to be Teba's wife. She told Link that Teba was practicing at the flight range; and he could get there by taking off from Revali's Landing. The fuchsia bird turned, peering at the landing that jutted out from Rito Village - a great wooden platform that stuck out above the lake below. Link followed her gaze, and a moment later, a new memory surprised him. Of course. _Revali._

The rito who couldn't stand him, or at least, was jealous of him. Or perhaps Revali wasn't even jealous of Link, he was just _that_ full of himself that he couldn't imagine anyone else saving the day. Of course, looking back on that memory was painful. Link had indeed failed after all, and here he was now, with still no way up to Vah Medoh. If he had that strange wind power like Revali had… but no. His only hope was now with Teba, a supposedly headstrong warrior, or at least that's what the village - and Saki - had told him so far.

He found the snow-white Rito at the flight range like Saki had said, sitting in a well-crafted wooden building perched on the side of a massive gorge. He was adjusting a bow, and barely gave Link a second look as the knight approached.

"I don't know you. And I'm actually pretty busy. You should go."

Link was a little taken aback; he was dismissive right from the get-go. The Rito were so welcoming and friendly, but for whatever reason, their warriors clearly had a chip on their shoulders. Teba was no exception.

"I can help you," Link replied, taking a few steps forward. Teba snapped his head back at him, eyes as sharp as Revali's.

"With what?"

"Vah Medoh."

"Let me get this straight," Teba began, turning back to focus on his bow, "some random Hylian wants to help me bring down Vah Medoh? I'm not buying it. What's your name, stranger?"

"Link."

"Link, huh? Well Link, I'm Teba, but you already knew that. I'm guessing the elder asked you to come here and talk some sense into me. Am I right?"

"That's right," Link replied, becoming tired of their exchange already. The tone of Teba's voice told him the bird already knew the answer.

"Look, you seem like an alright guy, but let me make one thing clear: I'm not going anywhere." Teba turned to look at Link now, clearly stubborn in his resolve. "As a Rito warrior, I can't rest until my people are safe… There's only one way I'm going back to Rito Village. And that's when Divine Beast Vah Medoh falls from the sky. If I have to kill Medoh… so be it."

"Great!" Link replied enthusiastically, "Let's get started."

"Are you serious?" Teba exclaimed, raising an eyebrow at Link and then letting out a laugh. "Ha! Well, far be it from me to talk you off the ledge. But the only way to appease Vah Medoh is to get inside of it. Fat chance of-"

"Yeah, I can do that. I did it with the others. Medoh is the last beast I have to appease," Link explained.

"So you're not only wingless… but brainless too. The only people that can get inside Medoh are the five champions of old, and they all died a hundred years ago… Nevermind," Teba said, waving a wing dismissively before Link could argue with him. "Let's do this one step at a time. I'll need to test you. We use this archery range to test our skills. Take out five targets in under three minutes, and you should be up for it."

Link had to resist rolling his eyes - five targets in three minutes seemed specifically easy. He was certain that had it been Revali, he'd be doing twenty, but nonetheless the blonde ran to the end of the wooden deck immediately and launched himself into the air. Sure enough, the updrafts carried him effortlessly, and as Link traded between parasail and bow and arrow, he managed to take out five targets in barely a minute. When he landed back at the flight range, Teba looked sheepish.

"You're good," he admitted, "it's like time stopped when you let fly an arrow… You must have seen a battle or two."

"A few," Link replied with a laugh. Teba's expression stayed straight.

"Don't be modest. I can tell now by looking at you. Well… are you ready, Link?"

"Yes."

"Before we go, let me ask you something," the Rito interrupted, looking up at Medoh circling in the sky. "Why are you doing this? Why risk your life to bring down Medoh?"

"For Zelda," Link responded without missing a beat. Sure, it was about Hyrule - it was about the Rito - it was about Ganon. But in the end, everything led back to her. There was something pulling him towards the castle, and it wasn't an urge to fight, wasn't an urge for revenge. It was redemption. He had to make it up to her.

"Zelda?" Teba asked in surprise, "but that's the name of the princess master Revali served, a hundred years ago. I don't know what she has to do with divine beast Vah Medoh, but whatever. As long as you've got motivation it's fine by me. Let's get into position."

Teba was kind enough to give Link a lift up there, and once they were high enough, not only was the air _freezing,_ but there were updrafts surrounding Vah Medoh to let Link fly on his own with the parasail. It was tough work, but Teba distracted the cannons well enough that he was able to take them out with bomb arrows, one by one. Sailing around the beast made Link realise one thing: the bird was massive, possibly larger than the other beasts, considering the wingspan. Nonetheless, its barrier dropped when the cannons were taken out.

"Nice work!" Teba called, soaring circles around him, but a moment later the Rito winced. Link's eyes were drawn to his back leg; he'd been hit by one of the cannons.

"You got hit," Link called out, and Teba nodded.

"I think I need to get back to the flight range. I just hope I can make it back," he grimaced.

"I'll come with you," Link suggested, but the Rito shook his head.

"No. You have to appease Medoh. I'll see you in the village later, promise," Teba replied with a reassuring smile, and Link watched him worriedly as he gave him a feathery thumbs up and disappeared back down into the clouds.

Still worried about Teba, Link pushed himself towards Medoh, landing softly on top of the bird. Revali's grating voice greeted him. As much as he'd forgotten himself from a hundred years ago, his feelings towards Revali, like the other Champions, had come back to him. Mipha brought acceptance, Daruk friendship, and Urbosa respect… but Revali was hard to pinpoint. Was it rivalry? A proper kick in the ass that he probably needed? Or just annoyance?

"Well now, I've seen that face before," Revali's voice, sourceless, spoke. "I had a feeling you would show up eventually. But making me wait a hundred years is a bit… indulgent. You're here to wrest control of Medoh away from Ganon, correct? If so, then the first thing you'll want to do is find a map. Can you make it there?"

Condescending was the only word for the way he spoke to him, but Link ignored it. Even if they hadn't gotten along, Revali was a Champion like Link. They had a common goal and a common enemy, and that was enough.

Medoh was easier to navigate than the other beasts, just by a little bit. It seemed flatter, and therefore more intuitive - of course this changed when Link finally got the map on his Sheikah Slate, and found he would have to tilt the bird from side to side in order to continue reaching the pedestals. Still, and maybe it was just because he'd already done three of the beasts, the task didn't take him long at all. It was just more daunting in places where the floor was opened up, showing just how small and faraway Rito village was - and how far he'd have to fall. Of course he had the parasail, so it was fine, but the thought of failing at all now was enough to make him feel sick. _I'm so close._

Revali continued guiding him as he made his way through, though not without the occasional sarcastic remark. When he finally reached the end - the battle with Windblight Ganon, the last of the horrific creatures Link would have to face before he fought their creator - the Rito Champion's tone changed.

"Good luck! That thing is one of Ganon's own, and it plays dirty. It defeated me one hundred years ago… but only because I was winging it. I can't believe I'm actually saying this… but you must avenge me, Link!"

 _Sure._ The sun was beginning to set as Link squared off with the blight atop Vah Medoh. It had an arsenal of tornados and rapid-fire bursts, which Link was happy to find were easy to parry back at it; Revali had never been one to hold a shield, which was probably part of why he hadn't been so successful. The beast went down fast, embarrassingly fast, for something that had defeated a Champion… but Link couldn't hold it against the Rito.

With the last and main terminal finally under control, Medoh was properly appeased, and Revali graced Link with his presence.

"Well I'll be plucked… you defeated him eh? I suppose I should thank you now that my spirit is free. This returns Medoh back to its rightful owner. But don't preen yourself just for doing your job," Revali reminded him, green eyes sharp as he stared back at Link. The knight took a breath, steeling himself against the Rito's words. Stinging as they were, there was truth to them, and as Link listened to Revali speak, he realised there was an important balance with having him in the Champions.

"I suppose you've proven your value as a warrior… one worthy of my unique ability. A sacred skill that I have dubbed Revali's Gale!"

Link had forgotten about the skills the other Champions had given him - besides Daruk, he rarely used the others. The gust of air that attacked him then had flown up straight up into the air, and he wondered faintly if it was simply a prank, but no - he had really been given Revali's skill of creating an updraft, that he could use now, whenever he liked.

With a quick flick of the parasail, Link glided safely back down onto Medoh,

"It's time to start making preparations for Medoh's strike against Hyrule Castle. But only if you still think you'll need my help when fighting Ganon - feel free to thank me now," Revali said with a laugh, but then he had turned around, avoiding Link's gaze. In truth, the knight didn't know what to say.

"Or… nevermind, just go," he sighed, as Link began to feel the familiar sensation of his body teleporting somewhere else. "Your job is far from finished. The princess… has been waiting an awful long time."

The reminder was less than welcome, but needed nonetheless. Link had finally gotten all four of the divine beasts. Now, he had even more reason to return to Impa.

The elder of Rito Village gifted him with Revali's own bow, one that fired quicker than any of his others, and Link decided to save it for his battle against Ganon. Night had fallen, and although Link had been invited to stay at the inn, he was too awake and wanted to push forwards. Before he was able to leave the village, music distracted him, and he followed the sound of it to what could only be one Rito: Kass.

"Ah, we meet again," Kass said, smiling at Link as he approached him on the wooden platform overlooking the lake. "I'm taking a break to perform in my hometown. ...By the by, there's something I need to ask you… a song I need you to hear. It's about my teacher. Do you have time to listen?"

Link nodded, resting back against the wooden railings.

"Thank you ever so much. My teacher was of the Sheikah Tribe. He was a court poet for the Hyrulean Royal Family. At the time, there was a beautiful princess in the royal family, quite close to his age, apparently. Though he must have known it was doomed to be unrequited, my teacher fell in love with her… But the princess herself only had eyes for her escort, her knight attendant."

Link's eyes widened. He thought back to Zelda's diary, his memories - was this princess Zelda herself?

"My teacher was consumed with jealousy. He fumed that the knight was neither nobility nor royalty himself. And then the Calamity struck. ...My teacher believed a hero would appear to beat back the Calamity. He poured his belief into a song. That song is what I need you to hear."

Link was far more interested now than he had been when he first ran into Kass, and he listened intently as the Rito began to sway, his accordion pulling back and forth as a familiar tune was struck up.

 _An ancient hero, a Calamity appears_

 _Now resurrected after 10,000 years._

 _Her appointed knight gives his life_

 _Shields her figure, and pays the price._

 _The princess's love for her fallen knight_

 _Awakens her power / and within the castle_

 _The Calamity is forced to cower._

 _But the knight survives!_

 _From the shrine of resurrection he sleeps_

 _Until from his healing dream he leaps!_

 _For fierce and deadly trials await_

 _To regain his strength, fulfill his fate._

 _To become a hero once again!_

 _To wrest the princess from evil's den._

 _The hero, the princess, hand in hand_

 _Must bring the light back to this land._

Link barely had time to process before Kass began talking again. It was absolutely about him and Zelda. But what he couldn't get out of his mind - he gave his life for her? So he had failed, but it was the ultimate price, he had - had he died? And then, her _love_ for him had awakened her power - so the sealing power he remembered from his memories, she did finally get back… she loved him?

"My teacher fled the Calamity and returned to his hometown of Kakariko Village. But on his way, he witnessed the princess's knight sacrifice himself to save her. The elder of Kakariko Village, Impa, explained these circumstances to him, and his mind was made up… He would seek the songs of the hero who sealed the Calamity in an age past… so they could be passed on to the knight once he returned. All so that the Princess might be saved… those are the words he passed down to me."

 _Wait, if Kass wants me to hear this, then does - does he know -_

"So, appointed knight," Kass spoke, turning to look at Link head on. "Will you accept this song from my departed teacher?"

Link swallowed, trying to rid of the lump in his throat. He could feel tears sitting in his eyes, but willed them not to fall. This insight meant more to him than he could say.

"Yes."


	23. Link's Awakening

**So the last chapter was really long... and this one is really short.**

 **Just want to say thanks for all the reviews and thanks for following along. We're in the home stretch now.**

* * *

The sun was just beginning to rise when Link found himself back in Kakariko. He reunited with Horse again while he was there, and the animal was clearly happy to see him. As much as he would have liked to relax in the peaceful little town, Revali's words echoed in his mind - your job is far from done, you know.

All that was left was the sword, since Link was beginning to lose hope that he would regain his memories. All he could think was that maybe, if he defeated Ganon… maybe then he would remember who he was.

Impa, thankfully, gave him more hope.

"I sense it," she said immediately, as he stood before her. "Daruk. Revali. Mipha. Urbosa. A hundred years ago I put my life on the line to fight by their side… but I could not protect them. All this time I thought they had died in vain, but now I can feel it… they have yet to give up," she said, casting Link a toothy grin. "I can also sense that they were all overjoyed to see you again."

"Impa… I got the memories, but-"

"No - all twelve memories already?" Impa looked at him in surprise now, and Link nodded.

"Then it's time I reveal the last memory to you."

"There's another one?" Link asked, hope sparking in his heart again. Relief flooded him.

"Yes. Lady Zelda gave me specific instructions," Impa began, and for the first time, Link saw her leave her little tower of pillows. She walked to a painting on the wall, one of a swamp with dormant Guardian bodies resting in it, broken apart, and clearly defeated.

"Does it look familiar? From this village, you should be able to get there in a half day's time. Now go, child."

Link squinted at the picture. It did look familiar, and judging by the backdrop, it was… near Fort Hateno? No, maybe just the swamp nearby… either way, that was his best guess, and as Impa said, it would take him a half day or so to travel there by horseback. He nodded in thanks to her and left, changing into his blue Champion's tunic and hyrule trousers. It had been a while of traveling through ridiculous temperatures and terrains, so the mild temperature of Hyrule was more than welcoming.

Horse was happy to get out and about, and Link brought the two of them back down to the Dueling Peaks stables, demounting there and heading off into the swamp on foot. It was easy to tell that he was in the right place, but the sheer number of guardians here - more than he had originally realised - made it hard to find the exact spot. Especially so, since he hadn't remembered to take a picture of the picture with his Sheikah Slate.

The sun was at its zenith by the time Link found the spot. While the other memories had come back to him gently, abruptly - this one knocked him off his feet. He stayed standing, but blacked out, completely reliving the horror of what had happened that day. But this time, he continued watching as Zelda bent over his dead body, and the pain was more, he was sure, than what he had felt that day. As the Sheikah took him away from her, leaving Zelda alone to face Ganon, Link was dragged out of his nightmare, his eyes thrown open as his spirit returned.

The sun came back blindingly as Link returned his focus to the ashen swamp. Suddenly, finally, he remembered - everything. His mouth slowly dropped open. No longer were they just names and shadows of faces haunting his dreams; he remembered now, everyone, but more importantly he remembered himself. Memories came flooding back to him, his smiling mother, his father training him in the backyard with a sword, and Castle Town, his childhood jungle. The Master Sword, and its location within the forest. Each memory suddenly made sense, connecting to the others and bringing Link to his knees as the pieces fit together. His heart jumped to his throat and he clenched his teeth, burying his face in his hands. He felt like he had just been completely knocked out. Everything hit him like a brick wall, but worse, the knowledge of exactly where and when he had failed. He had died, outright, in her arms. Link had failed her entirely, and now a familiar weight burdened his chest - Zelda.

"I love you, Zelda, I love you so much," he sobbed, resting back on his knees and still holding his hands to his face as tears began to flow freely. Link had no idea where those words would go, who they would reach - no one, probably, since he was alone in the swamp - but he had to say it. He should have said it earlier, he should have told her before it became too late, and maybe everything could have been avoided.

The guilt of failing was bad, but the guilt of forgetting was the same, if not worse - how could he have forgotten her, his love for her? What if he hadn't remembered? His chest heaved with sobs that he couldn't fight. Kass's song came back to him. She had loved him, that whole time, and he hadn't realised. Her love for him awoke her power. Why had they been such stupid teenagers?

Link.

Her voice surprised him out of his tears. He opened his eyes, and slowly removed his hands - Zelda stood ahead of him, white dress silhouetted against the stone ruins of the guardian behind her. Link looked at her helplessly, not knowing what to say.. He stood shakily, staggered towards her, and reached for her - but something was stopping him. He collapsed to his knees again in front of her, and dipped his head in shame. Tears were falling again, dripping into the mud and grass beneath his hands.

You never failed me, she said immediately though her voice was faraway. You were - have always been - my hero.

Link shook his head, unable to look at her through his tears.

"I left you alone for a hundred years."

And I let you die, she replied sadly, to which Link stared at her in shock. If I was more capable a fighter, you may have survived that day and not needed to undergo this… these unnecessary trials of courage, though your bravery surprises me more and more as I watch you, she admitted, still looking increasingly upset. I am always so scared for you, Link. Don't you ever get scared?

"I have more important things to worry about," he said then, looking at her steadily. "I have to protect you." He reached up carefully, cupping her face in his hand, though there was nothing really there. He couldn't feel the warmth of her cheek, nor the softness of her skin. Still, a small smile returned to her lips, and Link dropped his hand.

It's time for you to retrieve the Master Sword. You know where it is.

As she spoke, her image faded away, and Link stood alone in the swamp. He had so much to say, so many questions to ask. Hyrule itself looked and felt completley different now. He felt like he was finally back home, despite learning more about the land than he had ever known before his slumber. The Master Sword, if it had returned to where he got it the first time, would be in the Korok Forest - by the Deku Tree.

He knew where to go.


	24. The Master Sword

The Master Sword was the last thing Link needed before going to take on Ganon. Over the last few days, an incredible momentum had been pushing him forward, and he felt like he was hardly able to keep up with it, like he would be swept off his feet at any moment. The four beasts were done. He had regained his memories. He _remembered,_ finally, and he knew now why the sword was so important and where it would be resting. But then, he also knew that it would not be easy to get.

He stood near the military camp Sheikah Tower and stared out at the Lost Woods, surrounding the Korok Forest like a moat. He could see the Deku Tree, pink in springtime blooms, sitting in the middle. Knowing where it was was not enough, however - the lost woods required a more methodical, more in-tune approach.

The woods were oppressively foggy. Firelight was provided on torches, the sparks lifting and floating eerily into the mist, a sign of where he was meant to go. Link took a breath as he stared into the darkness, and it stared back at him, a challenge and a welcome all bundled up in one. _Am I still worthy?_

With a quick breath and a burst of determination, Link headed into the woods between the two torches. He could see another a little ways away - and then another, the sparks drifting to and fro as they led him deeper and deeper into the woods. Shivers sat on his back that wouldn't go away, eyes on his shoulder, shadows disappearing behind trees as he looked to spot them. There was no need to be paranoid. When he'd first come, there was an unspoken trust he felt for the trees, a feeling that maybe he wouldn't return… and that was okay. It was the risk he took, to be the chosen one. He wasn't doing this for himself.

The last torch stood ahead of him, silhouetted by a large tree with bare branches creeping down like hands towards Link as he stood beneath it, not defiantly like when he first arrived, but like an old friend. With a small smile and a whisper of thanks, he picked up the torch that rested against the tree, and lit it carefully in the torch.

The sparks flew in one direction or another. As subtle as it was, Link knew he couldn't take his eyes off of it, or he'd be sent back in some uncomfortable way back to the beginning and have to re-do everything. He stopped every few steps, making sure he was still going the right way, and finally his path began to focus in one direction. Taller trees sat ahead of him - the sky was beginning to peek through the fog now, and there was only one way to go. He put the torch out and continued forward, finally pushing through the grey and the damp to find himself in a sunny, welcoming haven.

Link couldn't hide the relief he felt, and he shook in a shiver as he finally left the Lost Woods behind him. Koroks greeted him, spinning with their leaves and peeking in and out of bushes as he past them. Glinting in the light, ahead of him, was what he'd been looking for - the Master Sword. It sat in the rock, where it had before, and Link took a moment to stare at it. How had it come back? On its own?

As soon as Link let his hand rest against the handle - it was familiar feeling, and smooth - he was struck with a powerful set of flashbacks. Zelda's voice was back - telling him he was the light. That he was the fate of Hyrule. It hit him hard, and he staggered back from the sword, staring at it in shock as the sounds of the forest came back into focus. And a voice. A _loud_ voice.

"Who is that? Did I doze off again?"

Link looked up quickly - the deep voice of the Deku Tree was somewhat familiar, but still new. His face, etched into the bark, wrinkled in concentration as he peered down upon Link. There were no real eyes on the tree, and yet Link felt himself being judged to his core.

"Well well… it's you. You finally decided to return."

It felt as though a knife entered his heart on the word 'finally.' Link swallowed.

"Better late than never," the tree continued, seeming distracted, yet his gaze never left Link. "After 100 years, I'd nearly given up hope on seeing you again. Even _my_ patience has limits, you know."

"I'm sorry," Link choked, trying not to break down. His memories felt fresh, and raw, despite having just gained them back. It hurt to think that he had failed not just himself, not just Hyrule, not just Zelda, but even beings like the Deku Tree… had been let down by him. The tree remained silent.

"I must warn you… the sword stands as a test to anyone who would dare attempt to possess it. You may have wielded it 100 years ago, but you failed in your duty as the Chosen Hero… as you are now, I cannot say whether you are worthy or not. If you sought to free the sword in any sort of weakened state, you would surely lose your life where you stand."

The tree paused to chuckle, a deep laugh that was not sinister, but one that had seen fate and destiny twist before. Link knew it.

"Best of luck, young one."

Link looked down at the sword. It wasn't just a sword, it was an entity, a friend, an extension of himself and his soul. Despite his insecurities, he knew deep down that it was just him. That he had to get redemption. Not honor, not revenge, but he had to _right_ the wrongs that had befallen Hyrule. He had to destroy Calamity Ganon and save Zelda and do it all not just for himself but for _everyone._ And… for her.

He gripped the sword again, without hesitation this time. Holding it tight and stern with two hands, he began lifting it up out of the stone. It moved slowly at first, but then gave a little - Link felt his heart writhe in pain and he remembered the first time he had picked up the sword. He had passed out, waking up on the stone the next morning with the sword laying in his hands - hopefully that wouldn't happen again, or he'd be losing precious time.

Still, it hurt just as much as the first time. Each pull of the sword sapped at his energy like nothing else, cut his spirit, tested his resolve, and pushed him further and further to the limits of what he knew he was capable of. But Link thought of the Champions as he pulled. Daruk's endurance, Urbosa's fury, Revali's skill, Mipha's acceptance… each of them had taught him something, and they weren't really gone. They had waited for him because they knew he was the one. Even the Deku Tree. Even Zelda.

When the sword was finally released from its home, Link let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding it. The blade was longer than he remembered, stronger, but it greeted him enthusiastically nonetheless as he held it close to his face, to his heart. He lifted it to the sky to catch the sun, and so he could send a message to Zelda - _I'm coming for you._

As if in response, a memory - not his own, but one of Zelda's - graced him.

It was Zelda in her dirty prayer dress. Clearly it was just after Link had been taken to the shrine, because she was covered in mud and soot, laying the sword down at the foot of the Deku Tree. She knew that Link would be back, and she knew that his memories would be gone - wait. Link didn't have time to focus on the thought that Zelda, loving him and being loved in return, knew that sending him there would make him forget. Did she know that he would regain them as well? Or was it simply the risk she was willing to take? It shouldn't have surprised him - he knew she would do whatever it took for Hyrule, she knew that he would die for it. But still, the heartbreak was there, in her voice… knowing that the Link who woke up in a hundred years would not be her Link, not yet.

The Deku Tree had discussed with her what she was planning to do next. Zelda knew where she had to go - and the Deku Tree was right. The strength in her dedication, the resolve she held, was focused enough that she could achieve anything. And this was right after their incident in the swamp - she'd gone all alone with the sword to the forest…

In the memory, Zelda asked the Deku Tree to relay a message to Link, and he desperately tried to hear it, but the tree cut her off. " _Now then, words intended for him would sound much better in the tones of your voice, don't you think?"_ And she had agreed.

When Link came back to, he found himself wiping more tears from his face, but there was no shame in it. He had to reunite with her, had to do whatever it took. More than anyone, Zelda had believed in him all this time, and that would be all he needed to take down Calamity Ganon.

"What you just saw happened where you stand 100 years ago," the Deku Tree said, looking happier than before now that Link had sheathed the sword - clearly worthy. "After you departed from the sword, the princess thought to bring it here, where she knew it would be safe under my watch. She continues to fight, trapped deep within the confines of Hyrule Castle. Her heart cascades with faith that you will return. ...She has a smile like the sun… I would do much to feel its warmth upon me once again."

"Me too," Link replied. "You can count on me this time."

"I know I can, for you have proven yourself worthy," the Deku Tree replied, "now go, child. Do not rely solely on the Master Sword's power. You will need your own courage and strength of heart for the battle that lies ahead."


	25. The Final Battle

**Thank you for your patience and all of the lovely reviews! It means more than I can say! There will be one more chapter after this one. :)**

* * *

Link had been in Hyrule Castle once before, however briefly, and was not excited to revisit. But with the sword and some newfound faith in himself, he had no choice but to continue with the momentum he'd gained in the last few days. There was no stopping now. He could feel time running out, and he had to get to Zelda… had to bring everything, as much as could be done, back to normal.

The wind pushed and played with his hair as he glided down from the edge of the Lost Woods towards the castle. It whipped at his parasail dangerously, threatening to toss him away and down into the moat if he lost control, but the blond only held tighter to the wooden handles of the sail and continued on his course. Skywatchers dotted the air ahead of him, and sentry guardians on the walls… alongside other monsters lurking inside, he was sure. But Link found himself smiling. He had surpassed all of his struggles, was stronger than he had ever been, more ready than before, prepared and skilled beyond belief. He would fight Ganon with everything he had. He would fight Ganon to the death. There was no other way he would let it end.

When he reached the castle, the stone walls approached him at an incredibly fast speed and Link tucked his parasail away and clung to the edge, sliding down only a little bit before regaining his grip. As he climbed, the skywatchers noticed him - or maybe a sentry - but Link couldn't have bothered. He continued moving, ducking behind other walls and rocks as he went, finally finding a tunnel inside where the autonomous machines wouldn't be able to locate him. The dungeons of the Castle, however, held other surprises. That is, it was stock full of monsters… but monsters were easy fare by this point, or at least the moblins and lizalfos that filled the prison cells were. The Stone Talus he found on his way proved a little tougher, as it was clearly an elder and put up more of a fight than the others. The Stalnox was a brand new enemy for Link, and finding it old him that outside the castle, night had come. He had to spend less time worrying himself with cleaning out the beasts and more time getting to Ganon.

Equipped with a shiny new shield that seemed to match his sword, Link found his way up and through the library, then the dining hall. It didn't look like it used to. Everything was covered in dust and soot, clawed apart, and skeletons rested here and there amongst the rubble. He tried not to look, too afraid of seeing people he recognized… maybe members of the royal guard, soldiers, other nobility or servants. It was hard, but Link pushed on, finally ending up outside. His first real challenge came in the form of a Lynel. A _silver_ Lynel. He had seen one in the distance once before - _in Hebra, maybe?_ \- and opted not to fight it. Lynels were strong on their own, but Link knew by now that silver anything meant trouble. The gates closed behind him, and ahead of him. It was obviously a fight he couldn't avoid.

The sword glinted as he pulled it out of his bag, and Link parried and flurried his way throughout the fight. But he wasn't perfect. He had never been a perfect fighter, only experienced, and made a missed call, jumping the wrong way as the monster swung his massive greatsword. Link was tossed to the side like a ragdoll, but counted himself lucky that his torso was still attached to his legs… still, the amount of blood pouring out of him was ridiculous. The beast was readying itself for another attack, and Link stammered to his feet, wondering why he hadn't prepared more food before coming. _Was I too cocky?_

He tried to fall out of the way of the incoming attack, but these Lynels were clearly smarter, and it caught his body before he hit the ground. The always-unfamiliar sensation of Mipha's Grace awashed him with relief then, bringing him back to _some_ health, alongside with a grim reminder that his second chances were over. The wound on his stomach stopped bleeding, and faded away until only a gruesome and deep scar remained. Link didn't have time to gawk at it before the Lynel had resumed trying to kill him.

When he finally destroyed the beast, it fell apart into a cloud of soot and left behind its weapons, which Link took gratefully and continued on his way. The Sanctum was up ahead, well-guarded by Skywatchers and Guardians. With his chest feeling like it was, Link knew there was no point in fighting them now; if he had to deal with them while fighting Ganon, so be it, but when he was this close there was no way he was getting distracted. It was time.

Link ran straight past, firing off two arrows to stun the sentries, and found himself at the doorway of the sanctum almost immediately. Inside and attached to the ceiling was some sort of massive life form… Ganon's life form, he assumed, attached to everything it could get to, a dormant Guardian even stuck among the body. He drew his sword and tried to control his emotions in the moment.

"Zelda!"

"Link!"

Zelda's voice came back at him then, rays of light escaping from the gelatinous glob attached to the ceiling of the Sanctum.

"Link! I'm sorry-" she was cut off by a screech that erupted from within the beast, louder and deeper than all of the blights, but similar in nature - "but my power isn't strong enough… I can't hold him…"

A blue light erupted from Ganon, piercing through and slicing into the castle floor around Link. It swept across the room, erupt in explosions with everything it touched. Stone crumbled, pieces of pillars fell to the floor, and not a moment later the form clutching to the ceiling steamed as if a valve - a hundred year old valve, probably - had released. The bloody skin holding Ganon in place burst open, allowing the bull-like beast to drop and slam into the floor directly in front of Link. He held his arms up to his face, protecting it from the bits of rubble and stone that rocketed past him, and tried to get a look at the monster he would have to face - but then the floor gave in.

It was a long drop to the ballroom below, and Link pulled out his parasail about halfway down, letting Ganon get a headstart. At first glance he'd thought the beast to be a bull, but looking at it now it had clearly become something completely different. There was nothing human about Ganon, it was a mindless mess of legs and weapons, and something about that gave Link confidence for the battle ahead. In one hundred years, Ganon had no chance to prepare - it had been trapped. But Link had healed, grown, and appeased the four divine beasts… and now as he stood ahead of it, the incredible white light that began to burst down from the sanctum could only have come from one source.

Daruk. Urbosa. Revali. Mipha. Link thanked the four of them with all his heart as the blinding power of the beasts rained down upon Ganon with unforgivable force. The beast shrieked, cowering but having no shelter or refuge from the barrage, and instead turned upon Link with newfound anger. He could hear the Champions. _Your turn, Link._

The master sword glowed a heavenly blue as he held it in front of him, the Hylian shield sitting heavily on his left arm. He could see elements of all the blights, and knew that he already had an advantage - he'd fought them all before. All of his hard work, all of his struggling until now, even from a hundred years ago, was coming down to this. The knight's blue eyes shone as brightly as the sword he lifted towards Ganon. He was _angry._ How dare Ganon try and take everything away from him? He had nearly succeeded, if it wasn't for Zelda. And that's exactly who he was doing this for.

The monster didn't wait before going right for Link. His right arm - well, one of them, anyways - held a massive flaming sword akin to that of Fireblight Ganon's. It swung at him with immense speed, and Link hardly backflipped in time to avoid it; quickly, he shot forwards, flurrying at the beast with the master sword. He grimaced as he did so, as Ganon's form was horrifying, bloody and massive, and the sword released smoking calamity and malice into the air with each hit.

Ganon's other arms came at Link then, but they were so akin to the sentry guardians from the shrines that avoiding their attacks and flurrying at Ganon came like second nature. The beast was obviously upset at this, and recoiled, climbing up onto the wall. Link pulled out Revali's bow, but even a few shots from it didn't seem to phase Ganon as he readied a powerful-looking ball of flame. Link watched it carefully as it flew at him, slow at first but then picking up speed, and he tried to run away - but far too late.

The ball erupted into a massive explosion that swallowed Link up, singing his clothes and burning at his skin. With gritted teeth, he tried to stand up, only to be blindsided by a blue spear that Ganon threw at him, not waiting for the hero to regain himself.

It drew a wound on his shoulder and pinned his hood down onto the ground, and as Link pulled away from the barrage of blue beams Ganon had begun to fire, it tore away from his head. _Shit._ He pulled out the Hyrule shield immediately, feet skidding back on the stone floor as each beam hit, and finally with a yell, parried one of the shots back at Ganon. It hit hard, and the monster fell to the floor, allowing Link to sprint forwards and hack away at him once more with the master sword. Ganon's health was clearly depleting, but it only meant that he had become more desperate; Link was flung backwards as Ganon shrieked again, covering himself with some sort of molten armor. Even from twenty feet away, Link could feel the intensity of the heat coming off of Ganon, and frowned a bit. He was already burned, blood seeping through his shirt on his left arm... He would have to wait for Ganon to show a moment of weakness.

Ganon swung at him again, and Link missed his flurry, instead charging up Urbosa's fury and firing it off with a deafening crack. The lightning broke down the monster's defenses, and Link's eyes widened as he saw his opportunity to hit away at the beast once more; but after only a few hits, Ganon was back up again, and with a shriek and a slam of his sword into the ground, flung Link away into the room. He skidded on his back away into the room, and stood up fast, already beginning to feel a bit dizzy - but he was close. He knew it.

Ganon swung with his sword again and all Link could do was lift his shield; as the sword hit, Daruk's protection kicked in, parrying it back at Ganon and giving Link another chance to swing at him. He was beginning to tire, but there was no stopping now, no chance for a break, nothing but to keep a tight grip on the master sword and pray to Hylia that he could get through this. He had to get through this.

He gasped as Ganon's molten armor came back, falling backwards and then being shoved back once more. His back was torn up by the stone floor as he slid along it, and he stood shakily to face Ganon once more, wishing it would end. The beast was climbing back up on the wall, focusing on Link again with his cannon; the first two beams hit Link square on, and he was tossed backwards with each one, eyes shut tight as he gripped his stomach. Century old scars were beginning to scream at him in pain. _I can't fail again._

He swung his shield out and hit back with a yell, watching as the fateful beam collided with Ganon head on. It was all it took to knock him off the wall again, and Link stumbled forwards, barely holding his shield up as he focused all of his energy into hitting the monster as hard as he possibly could with his sword, yelling as he did so. Finally, something seemed to snap. Ganon collapsed, and Link kept hitting him a few times over before he realised what had happened. As the beast tried to regain its footing, calamity, malice, and what Link assumed was a fair amount of blood, poured out and escaped into the room. Link staggered backwards. Better to give the thing some space. One thing was for sure: it wasn't dead… yet.

Link had to resist the urge to puke. A ridiculous amount of liquid was pouring out of Ganon as his body fell apart at the seams, gushing out onto the floor. It shrieked, a dying, desperate, horrifying sound, and tried to reach for Link, who stood his ground - Ganon's claws came inches from his face as light begin to shine through from his body, facets of violet that burst outwards and finally filled the room in a surreal light. Link shielded his face from the wind and ashes that flew past him, and then looked up as it calmed; a cloud of malice had formed, and it lifted up out of the room. Link knew he had to follow somehow, and jogged forwards - as he got there, like a helping hand, he could feel Zelda's spirit lifting him, teleporting him just as he did at the shrines.

The golden plains of Hyrule were painted around him. The sky was a sunny, but cloudy yellow, morning stars twinkling above as they slowly began to fade, and a breeze awoke to wash over the grass. Link was surprised to see that Horse stood next to him, eyes pitch black and steely as it stared forwards. He followed the steed's gaze to the beast that now stood before him, a behemoth that seemed the size of Hyrule Castle itself.

The real form of Calamity Ganon. A monstrous, glowing, convulsing bull that snorted and pawed at the ground, but seemed otherwise incapable of moving. It was building strength, Link could tell, and he would have to take it down fast. But… how? For once, he felt unprepared. The body of the beast looked impenetrable.

Zelda's voice seeped into his mind then, speaking as the bull reared its ugly head.

 _Ganon… Ganon was born of a dark past. He is a pure embodiment of the ancient evil that is reborn time and time again…_

Violet flames burst from the bull's shoulders, licking at his skin and stretching out into the evening sky.

 _He has given up on reincarnation and assumed his pure, enraged form. If set free upon our world, the destruction will be unlike anything ever seen before. I entrust you with the Bow of Light, a powerful weapon in the face of evil._

Link looked up in surprise to see a glowing, shining bow that began to float down from the heavens.

 _Link… even if you would have come to me without your power, or without your memories… courage need not be remembered,_ she said, as Link took it upon himself to hop on his horse and prepare for battle.

 _For it is never forgotten._

The black stallion reared and Link cracked at the reins to get them moving forward to the bow. He caught it deftly, and immediately could feel the divine power that rested within it. Yes, with something like this, he could do it, but… how powerful was this form of Ganon?

Immediately, the beast began to prepare an attack from it's maw, a glowing purple flame that shot forwards and decimated the grass in its path. Link and his horse dodged out of the way, circling around the side of the beast, and Link let fly a couple arrows. They sparkled in their path and seemed to not be affected by gravity or the wind, but did nothing against the body of Ganon.

 _That energy covering Ganon's body is called Malice. None of your attacks will get through as he now is. I will hold the malice back as much as I can, but my power is waning. Attack any glowing points you see!_

Glowing points. Link had something to look for. He continued riding down along the side of the beast, getting a feel for just how massive it was, when he could see some glowing circles appearing on the side of his body. Immediately, he fired - one, two, three - and the bull roared in agony. As he rode around the monster time and time again, letting loose a barrage of light arrows at the weak spots Zelda provided, he could feel that the beast was weakening. Finally, as he circled around once more, he could see a glowing light appear in the bull's forehead, split open.

 _That is the very core of Ganon's being. Do what you must, Link!_

Zelda sounded desperate, but strangely optimistic. Link knew that a light arrow there would finish it, would finish everything, and he could feel pins and needles in his finger tips. He still had to fire off a shot directly at the beast without being destroyed, and as more flames and malice collected at the maw of the bull, he knew it would be easier said than done. Horse brought him around to the front; he fired off an arrow, but the angle was wrong. He had to get higher up.

Another plume of flame left Ganon's mouth, searing out in a line towards Link and his steed, which reared up in shock as it cut them off. Link hung to the reins desperately, flakes of fire and grass flying past his cheeks as Horse finally settled and fell back onto his hooves. Ganon was preparing for another attack, and Link dug his heel into the side of the stallion, urging him to move. Updrafts had formed from the fire, and horse and knight galloped at full speed towards Ganon, until finally he felt like he was close enough. He bucked off of his horse, flying into the air and pulling out his parasail all at once. Hot air carried him upwards, and he could hear Zelda's voice urging him: _Now, Link!_

Using the light bow, one arrow was all it took. It shot into the giant eye that had opened on Ganon's head, and when it hit, the impact released malice and blood into the air with such intensity that Link was thrown backwards and down. He hit the earth with a painful thud and flipped backwards, rolling once or twice before finally coming to a stop, and that was when the pain filled him. His right shoulder was still bleeding, made worse by how he had been tossed around like a ragdoll, he was bruised like nothing else, and his scars were searing from pain awakened after a hundred years of healing.

But in one moment, everything stopped. The fields of Hyrule were silent except for a ringing that brought Link's attention to one thing - Zelda.

In twinkling golden light, she had shot up from the inside of Ganon, hands clasped together, white prayer dress still stained and unmistakeably the same one Link remembered from his past with her. She floated down to the field, landing softly in the grass not far from Link, and all he could do was stare. There she was. After so long, he finally saw her again, and although he was unsure of what exactly she was doing in the moment, there was no doubt that she was in control. Ganon fell before her, bright eyes not flaming like they were but instead looking positively vulnerable.

Zelda began glowing brighter. Link shielded his eyes as he watched, still laying in the grass nearby, and a wave of energy washed past him like warm water. Ganon flinched back from it, and the beast clearly was trying to escape; it lifted into the sky, spiraling in desperation to get away, but was engulfed in the divine light. The princess's hand lifted, and a vision of three triangles appeared before her, pushing the light outwards and up until finally sucking back into a ball no larger than a marble. It shrunk until it disappeared completely.

Link felt relief shiver through his body.

It was done.

The sky began to clear as Link struggled to his feet. Horse's head lifted up under his arm, helping him stand, and Link gave the steed a grateful pat on the head in response. When he finally stood properly, he looked to Zelda, who had her back to him a little ways away. His heart in his throat, Link walked slowly towards her.

"I've been keeping watch over you all this time," she spoke, but Link continued moving, even though he couldn't go too fast. "I've witnessed your struggles to return to us as well as your trials in battles. I always thought - no, I always believed - that you would find a way to defeat Ganon. I never lost faith in you over these many years."

She turned to face him, and Link stopped in his tracks, finally seeing her face to face again. _Her._

Zelda held her hands together, up close to her heart, and smiled at him. Seeing her green eyes rest on him again, seeing her smile, created a light within him that Link felt spread and seep throughout every inch of his soul. All was right.

"Thank you, Link… the Hero of Hyrule. May I ask… do you really remember me?"

He thought it would be obvious, but clearly she was worried. Link let his shoulders drop, and walked to her until he had closed the distance between them. Looking down at her - just _slightly_ , apparently he had grown during his adventures - he finally smiled to her and nodded. He wanted to hug her, but he stopped; he had heard Kass's songs, but had not heard that Zelda _loved him_ back, not from her lips. He couldn't make any assumptions.

"Yes - my Princess, Zelda."

He knelt to her. It wasn't the hug he wanted, but he couldn't expect anything like that, couldn't set himself up for possible disappointment, not now. And without her, he would not have been able to rid of Ganon. He had to show how grateful he was, so he dipped his head towards the grass and stayed still with his resolve, despite the searing pain in his shoulders, despite the bruises, despite the tiredness that whispered sweet nothings about soft beds into his ear.

He was shocked to see Zelda fall to her knees in front of him. Link's head jerked upwards, only to be taken in in an embrace; Zelda was hugging him, tighter, tighter, her hands grabbing at his clothes and pulling him close. His own emotions assaulted him, and he gave in completely, wrapping one arm around her waist and the other up around her shoulder, his hand resting on the back of her head, keeping her close. Link held her strong in the embrace, trying to ignore the feeling of his own body shaking with dry sobs.

When they finally pulled away, still holding each other's arms as they knelt in the grasses of Hyrule field, Link could see the dried streaks of tears on Zelda's cheeks, but there was a new light in her eyes, one of determination.

"A hundred years ago you told me you loved me," she started, and Link felt his cheeks flush with heat, but he kept his eyes on hers, not daring to look away. "And you didn't - you didn't give me a chance to respond," she choked, biting her lip and lifting one hand to rest on the side of his face. He leaned in to her touch, unable to do anything, or say anything, until she had finished.

"It took me too long to realise that what I felt for you was real love," she explained, and Link felt the butterflies in his stomach jump to life, but she wasn't done; "it was all new to me, and I thought I loved you like a friend, then maybe like a mentor, until I realised it was more than that. I would _die_ for you, Link. I loved you, and I didn't stop loving you over a century, and I love you now and forever," she stammered, tears welling up in her eyes again.

"You nearly did die for me," Link said with a laugh, wiping away a tear of his own. "I was terrified when you pushed me out of the way."

"I was terrified when you _literally died,_ " Zelda replied, Link's smile disappeared as he saw the look on her face. "You don't - you don't understand, you mean so much to me, I thought you were gone. I thought everything was gone. _You_ mean the world to me, Link."

"You mean the world to me," he replied, and Zelda pulled him closer once more. He gasped this time, clutching his stomach instinctively, and Zelda looked surprised to see a red stain growing in his shirt. She looked at him worriedly as he faltered, gripping her shoulder for balance.

"I'm alright," he grimaced, but his vision was blurring.

He barely remembered Zelda hoisting him up onto Horse's saddle, jumping on it herself, and telling the steed to take them somewhere safe. Somewhere between the pain, the exhaustion, and the lulling feeling of galloping away over Hyrule fields, he fell asleep, knowing that this time, everything was okay. This time, he wasn't alone.


	26. Another Beginning

**Sorry about the double upload... Even if I use copy/paste, sometimes all this code comes and messes up my chapter!**

 **Anyways - here we are! I know it might feel like an abrupt ending but I didn't want to drag _too_ many of my own concepts into this fic... and I felt it may have dragged on too far. Better to have it short and sweet. If you have any questions or want anything _more_ , hit me up on my tumblr (link in my bio) and you can also read what I've got there already as well. I'm also going to start the process of posting my one-shots here, at least the SFW ones!**

 **I want to say thank you for all the reviews as well. I read every single one as I get the e-mail notifications, and it means a lot. I've answered a few questions at the bottom of the fic, so please read those in case I didn't get to your question before.**

 **Lots of love, guys.**

* * *

Ganon was roaring. Link was floating midair - Horse was below him, flaming after being hit by violet white fire, neighing in agony as he burned alive. Zelda was shining within Ganon, but her light was fading, and Link yelled her name but no sound came out as he watched the beast crunch down on her. As she disappeared, so too did Hyrule, until the world had been swallowed up in a blanket of darkness and Link was left falling into it, floating, floating, helplessly, in an abyss. A target lit on his chest, and far too quickly, a Guardian struck, drilling a hole into him, though Link felt no pain. The Master Sword left him, floating up into the air as Link lost his grip on the parasail, and free-fell downwards. _No- no - no -_

"No, no, no, Zelda - no -"

Reality hit Link like a ton of bricks. Zelda had her hands gripped tight on his shoulders, having shaken him awake; her face was etched with tears and fear, but she quickly sighed in relief and pulled him close, holding the back of his head and not letting go. Link didn't realise until he pressed his cheek against her neck that he had been crying, and even as she held him, tears continued to escape through his eyelashes and paint trails down his chest and onto her shoulders.

"I'm here, Link. It's okay. Everything is okay."

Her voice was just a whisper in his ear, and she began to stroke the back of his head slowly, fingers drifting through his hair. Link let out a long breath as he relaxed, his heartbeat finally slowing. A breeze washed in from outside, warm even as autumn tightened its hold on Hyrule and the leaves begun to change colour. He tentatively pulled his arms around Zelda and gave her a grateful squeeze before pulling away, wiping at his cheeks with the back of his hand.

"Thanks. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," she replied, shaking her head a little and then stifling a yawn. Link let out a weak laugh.

"I hope I didn't wake you up."

"It's morning anyways," she shrugged, and Link followed her gaze to the window where the sun had begun to rise, casting shadows through tree branches that danced against the tweed curtains. He still felt bad. It was too early to be awake after what they had gone through the day before.

"Where are we?" he asked suddenly, realising he didn't recognize the wooden house they were in.

"An abandoned house in Hateno," she said, almost apologetically. "It was so late by the time we got back last night, I didn't have it in me to wake the innkeepers, but your horse brought us here."

"How are you feeling, by the way? I made you a compress," Zelda added, and Link was surprised to see embarrassment flush on her cheeks. He looked down at his chest, surprised to find himself stripped down to his underwear, with cold leaves and hyrule herb pressed against his wound. Gingerly, he peeled it away, only to find a faded scar beneath it.

"Wow, that really worked," he said in surprise, removing the rest of the herbs and leaves.

"I'm glad," Zelda said with a smile. Their eyes met, blue on green, and the realisation of how close they were lit a fire in Link's chest. They leaned forward at the same time, slowly and then all at once, lips pressing together in a moment of desperate, long-awaited passion. Link felt all of his worries sink away at once, lifted his hand through Zelda's blonde hair, cupped her cheek and pulled her closer. Their kisses were short, sweet - he could taste her breath between each one, and finally he pulled apart from her, pressing his face into her neck.

"I love you," he mumbled, and felt her hug him tighter in response.

"I love you, too."

They were woken quite abruptly by the sound of men trying to demolish the house. A group of contractors, Bolson, Karson, and Hudson, were in charge of taking down the building since no one had forked up the rupees for it. When Link told them he would buy it, the price was steep, but he was willing to fork it over if it meant a safe place to stay. After all, the castle wasn't fit for living in, not yet. They were happy to have a new project, and after spending a couple nights at the Hateno Inn, the house was ready, complete with furniture and a garden out front. It was all they needed, at least for now.

Days passed, slumbering, sleepy, messy, lazy. Both of them had to readjust completely. There had never been any time to process Ganon's return, and now his defeat, and Link found himself staring out the window with his mind empty more than a few times. Living this sort of life - a normal life - felt bizarre. He had a bed every night. He wasn't climbing mountains and fighting monsters constantly, could eat normal food, and… he had company, after so much time alone.

At first they did nothing but talk. They would stay up until nearly sunrise, catching up, telling stories, laughing, crying, making love, until they fell asleep in each other's arms and slept until noon the next day. Rinse, repeat.

They both knew they had to get to work on fixing Hyrule. They could see it in each other's eyes, hear it in the voices of the locals, even as they said "get some rest, it's fine!" Because it wasn't. Not yet. There was still much to do. Thankfully, Bolson and his crew had a job for them - help Hudson, another one of the builders, create a new town of his own, dubbed Tarrey Town, in Akkala province. He needed help putting it together, and Link and Zelda were more than willing to help. It also gave them good reason to adventure together, and in the process they met with the chiefs of each other land, reaffirming their promises and expectations for what was to come.

With the help of the three construction workers, they began to recruit more and more people to help build Castle Town and Hyrule Castle, as well. No one knew better than Link and Zelda that it would take time, and neither of them was willing to step up and lead Hyrule at the moment, though in general the people had already accepted Zelda as the commander-in-charge.

They spent most of their time split between Hyrule Castle and Hateno. It took years before Castle Town and Hyrule Castle looked legitimate, and even longer before they had found enough people to repopulate it. The end result was better than they could have expected - the city was filled with Goron, Rito, Zora, Gerudo, and Hylians. It quickly became the biggest and most diverse city in the land, and it was among a crowd of friends, old and new, that Zelda and Link held their wedding - and coronation.

Kapson, a Zora particularly passionate about weddings, took care of the official proceedings. The Zora was nearly jumping out of his scales at the idea of officiating the wedding for the new King and Queen, but the entire ordeal was not as fancy, or regal, as it may have been in the past. The couple spent their honeymoon in Lurelin Village, a quick but romantic five days on the beach before returning to work. There was much to be done, and it didn't go without noticing that as they worked, blue and white flowers had begun to spring up all over Hyrule field. During the day, they sparkled among the golden fields, and at night they glowed, lighting the countryside in a soft blue light. Now and again, Zelda still found time to go out into the field for the purpose of studying different plants and creepy crawlies. Link found himself roped into heading the new knight training program.

Their new life didn't come without challenges, but among all the troubles they faced, they always found solace in each other. Link and Zelda, King and Queen, were still each other's best friends, through the rebuilding of Castle Town, raising their little girl - named Zelda, of course - and growing old together. Somehow, they knew - and the people of Hyrule knew - that they would always be together, and always be there to protect them, as they had in the past.

All was well.

* * *

 **Z:** I completed all the shrines in game and it was fun! I think Link finish the shrines _after_ he's got Zelda, due to the urgency of the situation, haha. But she would absolutely bug him about it until they were all done. And of course, the Forgotten Temple wouldn't be so terrifying once all the Guardians are inactive... so yes, he would get the legendary reward, but he would never wear it. Those shorts are just _so bad._ Even Zelda knows it. The Yiga Clan continues - Ganon is always there anyways, right? They're much less of a problem than they previously were though, and many of their people defect to become good denizens in Castle Town. Link becomes King, as per what I've written here, and spends most of his time training knights and teaching cooking classes on the side. ;)

 **Guest:** I have been filming a Let's Play of Skyward Sword that you can find on my channel Juls Plays. It's inspiring me once again - such a good game! - so I feel like yes, I will probably finish that fic. It's just been so long that it's hard to jump right back into it.

 **Guest Re: Divine Beast Order:** No, I did the divine beasts and memories in a different order. I went Zora - Gerudo - Rito - Goron in my game, but I feel like I wrote this the way it's 'meant' to be played - (Zora, Goron, Rito, Gerudo). Vah Naboris also felt like the most difficult dungeon, not to mention the most difficult dungeon boss! I found my memories as I played, so it's definitely a different order than what Link finds in this fic, though I can't remember exactly how they differ.

 **Ur Fan:** There's enough 'mature themes' in this that I wanted to play it safe and rate it M. Link also dies and I like writing about blood n stuff. If you'd like to read the nsfw they're on my tumblr and will also be up on ao3 in time too.


End file.
